CAL FIRE / Alaska back-up Federal air tanker fleet

Saturday, June 9, 2012

CAL FIRE / Alaska back-up Federal air tanker fleet

Two air tanker incidents, one crash and one wheels-up landing, Most of Federal Fleet temporarily grounded

U.S. Forest Service Shores Up Crippled Old Airtanker Fleet, With Help From States of Alaska and California, To Maintain Readiness For Wildfire Suppression

The U.S. Forest Service is taking actions to maintain its aerial firefighting capability after a series of events that have significantly reduced the number of airtankers available for wildfire suppression over the last year, including an accident last Sunday that tragically resulted in the deaths of two Neptune Aviation Services, Inc. pilots.

USFS Contract Air Tanker 11, registration #N14447, was 57 years old, having been delivered in 1955.

“The pilots of Tanker 11 lost their lives protecting public safety and natural resources,” “As the entire fire and aviation community grieves their loss, we must ensure that we maintain our capability to fulfill our responsibilities to be prepared to respond vigorously to wildfires threatening people, communities, infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources.” - said Tom Harbour, Director of Fire and Aviation Management for the U.S. Forest Service.

“The loss of the two aerial firefighters has reverberated through the fire service community and our thoughts are certainly with their families and coworkers as they grieve" -

said Chief Ken Pimlott, Director of CAL FIRE.

Tanker Aircraft:
VLATS: Evergreen(747) has closed wildfire tanker shop, Both Air Tanker 10 DC-10s parked in Victorville, Ca no contract with state or federal government. but are available on call when needed basis.

If needed, the U.S. Forest Service can also mobilize eight military C-130s equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems (MAFFS) to serve as large airtankers.
LATS: The U.S. Forest Service currently has nine operational large airtankers on exclusive use contracts. The U.S. Forest Service has arranged for a total of four additional airtankers to become available immediately for wildfire suppression. Two are CV-580s, one of which is available through an agreement with the state of Alaska and one of which is available through an agreement with the Canadian Interagency Fire Centre. These airtankers will be available for wildfire suppression nationwide.
CAL FIRE Tankers: The other two airtankers are CAL FIRE S-2Ts, which will be staffed and available in California through an agreement offered by the state and funded by the U.S. Forest Service.

“In the wake of this tragedy, we reached out to our federal partners to offer this agreement which staffs two CAL FIRE airtankers in California a month earlier than we would normally staff them based on the current wildfire threat.” -

said Chief Ken Pimlott, Director of CAL FIRE

Helicopters: The U.S. Forest Service is also arranging for five heavy (Type 1) helicopters to become available for wildfire suppression nationwide earlier than scheduled. The U.S. Forest Service believes that the additions of the airtankers and heavy helicopters will enable the agency to respond effectively to current and predicted fire activity.

Why Air Tankers?: Airtankers play an important role in wildfire suppression, particularly during the early stages known as “initial attack,” by dropping retardant that reduces the intensity and rate of spread of wildfires, enabling firefighters on the ground to safely construct fireline.

More information:
NIFC Press release: http://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/fireInfo_documents/NR_AerialFirefightingCapability060612.pdf
2012 Federal Contract Airtanker List: http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/logistics/aviation/2012_Federal_Contract_Air_Tanker_List.pdf
List of wildland fire air tanker LODD's: http://wlfalwaysremember.org/incident-lists/list-of-incidents-by-cause/aircraft-related-incidents.html

2012 Federal Contract Airtanker List Revisited

California Fire News 2012 - Follow @CalFireNews

No comments:

How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Saturday, June 9, 2012