How aviation helps fight fires

Aviation is not just for transporting passengers and cargo, it is vital when it comes to fighting fires, preventing loss of life and destruction of property. In this blog post, I take a look at some aircraft used in aerial firefighting and how fighting fires from the air works.

Fires can be destructive both materially and economically and firefighting can be very expensive. In 2006, more than 96,000 fires charred nearly 9.9 million acres in the United States and cost $1.5 billion (estimated at just over $2.3 billion today) to fight these fires. To fight fires from the air, the firefighting aircraft flies low and fast over the targeted fire area where the water drop occurs. Firefighting aircraft after the Second World war consisted of many surplus bombers and transport aircraft which were converted to firefighters in the late 1940s. However, by the 1960s, a variety of tanker aircraft built specifically to fight fires took over. One aircraft specifically designed as an aerial firefighter was the Canadair CL-215. This aircraft was designed to be as rugged as possible and designed to scoop water from most bodies of water which could then be dropped over fires. A total of 125 CL-215 aircraft were built and were used in Europe, North America and other places around the world. However, this aircraft had a limited design in terms of its avionics, speed and fuel efficiency and the Canadair CL-415 was built to replace it.

Using aerial firefighter aircraft instead of ground firefighters has advantages.

1. Planes and helicopters are some of the most effective tools in fighting wildfires.

2. Aerial firefighters can quickly and accurately drop huge amounts of water or fire retardant.

3. Aerial firefighters can release water in 1 large drop or in multiple passes.

4. Aerial firefighters can operate multiple scoops and drops during a single flight.

Aerial firefighters use either water or fire retardant. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Water is cheap but it is only effective at extinguishing flames. On the other hand, flame retardant can be used to stop flames from starting. However, flame retardant can only be reloaded at an airport which can be very expensive.

However, using aerial firefighters is not without its disadvantages, risks and challenges. Fighting fires from the air is dangerous and there have been several accidents resulting in loss of life. In July 2023 in Greece two pilots were killed in a firefighting aircraft. Local media reported that the planes wing clipped a tree leading to the crash. The July 2023 accident occurred nearly 15 years to the day when 2 pilots lost their lives while fighting wildfires in Greece in 2007.

Another challenge is that aerial firefighting is highly weather dependent and weather such as high winds, fog and poor visibility can ground the aircraft. Additionally, using aircraft to fight fires requires access to suitable bodies of water if the aircraft is to scoop water from these bodies of water such as lakes, oceans and rivers. Additionally, most firefighting aircraft can’t really operate at night.

There are also other hazards in the air that can affect aerial firefighting operations. In the recent Los Angeles wildfires, a CL-415 struck a drone which grounded the aircraft. This meant that this valuable aircraft was out of action at a time when it was needed the most.

A number of aircraft are used to fight fires:

Canadair CL-415

The Canadair CL-415 is also known as the ‘super scooper’ due to its ability to scoop up thousands of litres of water in seconds. The CL-415 is an enhanced version of the earlier CL-215 which was introduced in the late 1960s. The Cl-215 was one of, if not the first aircraft built with the sole purpose of aerial firefighting. The CL-415 took its first flight in 1994 and has a number of upgrades over the CL-215. These upgrades include: a larger 6,100 litre water tank, improved engines and efficiency allowing for increased speed and range and upgraded avionics. The primary benefit of aerial firefighting is speed – aerial firefighters such as the CL-415 can reach the site of a fire within minutes. The CL-415 has the ability to scoop water directly from bodies of water. To do this, the aircraft flies low over a body of water and two large scoops dip into the water as the aircraft skims the surface at high speed. Scooping water only takes 12 seconds to fill the aircraft tank with water. Aircraft coordinate with firefighters on the ground and usually water drops are aimed at the edges of the fire to slow down the fire spread. In some cases, the water is mixed with fire retardant to enhance its suppressive effect.

DC-10

Another aircraft used for aerial firefighting is the DC-10 Air Taker. This aircraft has 45,000 litre tanks and has been used to combat wildfires around the world. Two were deployed to fight the recent LA fires. The DC-10 Air Tanker is a converted DC-10 passenger jet. The aircraft weighs 400,000 pounds fully loaded and has a wingspan of 150 feet. The maximum air speed of the aircraft is 460mph. The aircraft has three engines, each produce 47,000 pounds of thrust. The aircraft tanks are filled with either water or fire retardant and have a 12,000-gallon capacity. The DC-10 can be filled and loaded in less than an hour, filling the tanker takes only 18 minutes or less. A typical 12,000 gallon drop from 250 feet covers an unbroken area of approximately 50 feet wide and ¾ of a mile long. This can be useful in helping to create a control line.

Helicopters

Helicopters are another key aircraft in fighting fires. Helicopters with a bucket attached can be used for water drops. The bucket is filled with water from a nearby lake and then the helicopter drops water over the fire. Helicopters using buckets which could quickly refill from lakes or reservoirs become a favoured tool for fighting wildfires.

Boeing 747 SuperTanker (Now retired)

Another aircraft used for fighting wildfires was the Boeing 747 SuperTanker. With its 71,000-litre capacity it was a valuable tool. Unfortunately, this aircraft was retired in 2021 but I will still take a look at its role in aerial firefighting.

The Boeing 747-400 has registration N744ST and first belonged to Japan Airlines for around 19 years before being converted to a SuperTanker.

The Boeing 747-400 aircraft was owned and operated by The Global SuperTanker Services and the aircraft was hired by governments around the world when the need arose. The aircraft has been employed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The aircraft can be anywhere in the United States within 2 ½ hours and can be almost anywhere in North America from its base in Colorado Springs in approximately 4 ½ hours. The aircraft can be anywhere in the world in under 20 hours, including fuel stops if necessary. The aircraft has 14 first class seats and 2 bunk beds for support staff and additional flight crew. The aircraft is also certified to spray dispersants on marine oil spills. The aircraft could also land immediately after taking off without dumping fuel or retardant if the operation is cancelled.

The aircraft was a key resource and “operates without any speed, altitude or operational restrictions”. The aircraft “provides a level of safety to ground personnel, property and resources”.

The aircraft was used to fight massive fires from the air and could dump 74,000 litres of water or fire retardant. This meant the aircraft would help ground efforts by firefighters and was the world’s largest aerial firefighting aircraft. The 747 SuperTanker could create a 3-mile-long fire line almost instantly. The aircraft fought fires in the United States and around the world including Israel in 2016, Chilie in 2017, Mexico in 2011 and Bolivia in 2019.

Unfortunately the company ceased operations in 2021 and the aircraft is no longer used.

It is clear that aircraft play a key role when it comes to fighting wildfires, providing support to firefighters on the ground. Have you seen aerial firefighters in action? What aircraft would you like to see modified to become an aerial firefighter?

Let us know by leaving a comment or tagging avgeek_blog on Instagram or X.

Thank you for reading.

Instagram: avgeek_blog

X: avgeek_blog

Email: geekofairlines@gmail.com