Aerial firefighting , also known as waterbombing , is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires . The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters . Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing aircraft , or rappelling from helicopters . Chemicals used to fight fires may include water, water enhancers such as foams and gels , and specially formulated fire retardants such as Phos-Chek .
84-498: The 747 Supertanker is a retired aerial firefighting airtanker derived from various Boeing 747 models. The aircraft is rated to carry up to 19,600 US gallons (74,000 L) of fire retardant or water . It is the largest aerial firefighting aircraft in the world. Initially developed by Evergreen International Aviation , the first Supertanker was based on a 747-200 (N470EV, tanker/tail number 947), but never entered service. The second Supertanker (N479EV, tanker/tail number 979)
168-506: A "warm" discussion with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas , who offered any assistance he could to help Israel with the fire, even though the U.S. was trying to restart peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians that broke down in September over the issue of construction West Bank settlements. The Palestinian Authority sent several fire trucks to help extinguish fires near
252-594: A Bambi bucket. Airtankers or water bombers are fixed-wing aircraft fitted with tanks that can be filled on the ground at an air tanker base or, in the case of flying boats and amphibious aircraft , by skimming water from lakes, reservoirs, or large rivers without needing to land. Various aircraft have been used over the years for firefighting. In 1947, the United States Air Force and United States Forest Service experimented with military aircraft dropping water-filled bombs. The bombs were unsuccessful, and
336-541: A blaze when overflying the Santa Lucia Range , California, in 1929. A wide variety of terminology has been used in the popular media for the aircraft (and methods) used in aerial firefighting. The terms airtanker or air tanker generally refer to fixed-wing aircraft based in the United States; "airtanker" is used in official documentation. The term " waterbomber " is used in some Canadian government documents for
420-661: A combined fleet of 23 aircraft. Borate salts used in the past to fight wildfires have been found to sterilize the soil and be toxic to animals so are now prohibited. Newer retardants use ammonium sulfate or ammonium polyphosphate with attapulgite clay thickener or diammonium phosphate with a guar gum derivative thickener. Fire retardants often contain wetting agents , preservatives and rust inhibitors and are colored red with ferric oxide or fugitive color to mark where they have been dropped. Brand names of fire retardants for aerial application include Fortress and Phos-Chek . Some water-dropping aircraft carry tanks of
504-580: A fire near Jerusalem. The two tried to escape by car and were apprehended after a short chase. Various fires broke out in open areas and woodland areas in the West Bank during the day, and were extinguished by Israeli and Palestinian Authority firefighters. One of these was a fire that broke out in a woodland area near Neve Tzuf . The firefighting services said that the blazes were probably acts of arson. Additional suspicious fires erupted in Kiryat Tiv'on , in
588-418: A guar gum derivative to thicken the water and reduce runoff. Helicopters can hover over the fire and drop water or retardant. The S-64 Helitanker has microprocessor -controlled doors on its tank. The doors are controlled based on the area to be covered and wind conditions. Fixed-wing aircraft must make a pass and drop water or retardant like a bomber. Spotter (Air Tactical Group Supervisor) aircraft often orbit
672-584: A hanging snorkel. Popular firefighting helicopters include variants of the Bell UH-1H Super Huey, Bell 204 , Bell 205 , Bell 212 , Boeing Vertol 107 , Boeing Vertol 234 , Sikorsky S-70 "Firehawk" and the Sikorsky S-64 Aircrane helitanker, which features a snorkel for filling from a natural or man-made water source while in hover. Currently the world's largest helicopter, the Mil Mi-26 , uses
756-592: A helicopter and a plane to assist in the fire-fighting effort. Russia sent one Ilyushin Il-76 (capable of holding up to forty tons of water) and two Be-200 special firefighting planes. Countries that offered help include Azerbaijan , Bulgaria , Croatia , Cyprus , France , Jordan , Romania , Spain with four seaplanes and the United Kingdom who sent two Royal Air Force helicopters. Italy and Egypt also offered firefighting planes. Netanyahu said he had
840-617: A little over three days. Mount Carmel contains large areas of forests, including large numbers of Aleppo pine trees , which are more easily ignited. Over the years, many fires have occurred on Mount Carmel, among them many which devastated hundreds of thousands of acres of forest. One such as that was the Mount Carmel forest fire of 1989 which destroyed about 3,200 dunams (320 ha; 790 acres) of forest. Israel had been experiencing an unusually warm autumn and dry conditions; previous spring and summer months were also exceptionally hot. It
924-406: A maximum payload of about 12,000 litres (3,200 US gal) of water, making "scoops" in suitable stretches of water in 14 seconds. Bombardier's Dash 8 Q Series aircraft are the basis of new, next-generation air tankers. Cascade Aerospace has converted two pre-owned Q400s to act as part-time water bomber and part-time transport aircraft for France's Sécurité Civile , while Neptune Aviation
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#17328511814451008-672: A message on Twitter saying "[I offer] condolences to the families of those killed in forest fires in Israel." Israel's neighboring countries both helped and criticized Israel over the handling of the fire. Qatar-based Al-Jazeera pointed out that "Israel failed to contain the fire", and that it was necessary for the state to plead for international help in order to bring the blaze under control. Various officials in European countries such as Greece, Italy and Germany reportedly also expressed their surprise at Israel's apparent helplessness. Many asked how it
1092-564: A number of Convair 580 and Fokker F27 Friendship turboprop airliners to air tankers. The largest aerial firefighter ever used is a Boeing 747 aerial firefighter, known as the Global Supertanker , that can carry 19,600 US gallons (74,200 L) fed by a pressurized drop system. The Supertanker was deployed operationally for the first time in 2009, fighting a fire in Spain. The tanker made its first American operation on August 31, 2009, at
1176-536: A number of firefighters who were behind the bus were also injured and some were killed, including Commander Ahuva Tomer, head of the Haifa police station and the first woman to hold such a major command; Tomer suffered severe burns and died in hospital on December 6. A prison service cadet who was badly burned in the incident died in hospital on December 11 and a firefighter who had been hospitalized with serious burns died on December 18. An initial investigation showed that
1260-497: A parts salvage re-seller, Jet Midwest Aviation. On July 12, 2017, tail number 979 was intentionally destroyed for salvage at Pinal Airpark , in Marana, Arizona. In August 2015, Global SuperTanker Services (the successor to the defunct Evergreen Supertanker Services), purchased all the physical assets and intellectual property related to Evergreen's original Supertanker (except the 747-100 airframe itself) from Jet Midwest. They transplanted
1344-645: A press conference on 3 December that "there have been a number of arson attacks in the northern district". Police sources estimated that arsonists were attempting to distract forces dealing with the Carmel fire by producing additional emergency events. An editorial in the Jerusalem Post called these arson cases "homegrown terrorism ". A fire broke out in the Tzur Shalom industrial zone in Kiryat Bialik , forcing
1428-492: A pressurized liquid drop system, which could disperse fire retardant under high pressure or drop retardant at the speed of falling rain. Using the pressurized system, the aircraft could deliver retardant to the scene of a fire while flying at a height of 400 to 800 feet (120–240 m), at approximately 160 mph (260 km/h ; 140 kn ), configured as if it were on approach for landing. The Supertanker's tank system could be configured for segmented drops, allowing
1512-590: A result of the fire, including 6,500 from Tirat Carmel and 3,000 from Haifa . Villages evacuated include Kibbutz Beit Oren , Ein Hod , Nir Etzion , and the Yemin Orde Youth Village, which were severely impacted by the fire. The University of Haifa was also evacuated, as well as three prisons (Carmel, Prison Six , and Damun) and the Tirat Carmel Mental Hospital. Other institutions included
1596-434: A tree fell down on the road, trapping the bus in a fireball. According to Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich , after the vehicle caught fire, the driver was injured and lost control. While performing a U-turn on the narrow road the bus caught fire and the cadets tried to escape the burning vehicle. The back door would not open due to the extreme heat but was eventually broken through, enabling some cadets to flee
1680-423: Is converting a pre-owned Q300 as a prototype to augment its Lockheed P-2 Neptune aircraft. The Sécurité Civile also operates twelve Canadair CL-415 and nine Conair Turbo Firecat aircraft. Neptune Aviation also currently operates converted British Aerospace 146 jetliners as air tankers. The BAe 146 can carry up to 3,000 gallons of fire fighting retardant. Air Spray USA Ltd. of Chico, California has also converted
1764-635: The Cessna 337 . The Beechcraft Baron was long used as a leadplane or air attack ship, but most were retired in 2003; more common now is the Beechcraft King Air and the Twin Commander 690 . A Cessna Citation 500 jet owned by Air Spray (1967) LTd. was used by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests beginning in 1995 and used for two fire seasons to lead the very fast Electra L188 air tanker to
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#17328511814451848-477: The Colorado Springs Airport , chosen in part for its convenient location for quick deployment to the western US and necessary infrastructure for the large and heavy aircraft. Just a few weeks later, the company was awarded a one-year contract from nearby Douglas County to assist with wildfire containment. In November 2016, the newer N744ST 747-400 Global Supertanker was deployed to Israel to help fight
1932-497: The Jerusalem Forest at about 13:00 burned 2.5 dunams (0.25 ha; 0.62 acres) of forest and open land. Firefighters and police extinguished the blaze within several hours. After hikers nearby reported two suspects fleeing from the area where the fire started, police were treating the incident as arson and opened an investigation. At night, an Arab citizen of Israel and a Palestinian were arrested after allegedly trying to start
2016-731: The Oak Glen Fire . It has since been replaced by a Boeing 747-400 . Another wide body jetliner that is currently being used as an air tanker is the modified McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 operated by the 10 Tanker Air Carrier company as the DC-10 Air Tanker . It can carry up to 12,000 US gallons (45,400 L) of fire fighting retardant. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations operates convertible-to-cargo Ilyushin Il-76 airtankers that have been operating with 11,000-US-gallon (41,600 L) tanking systems, and several Beriev Be-200 jet powered amphibian aircraft . The Be-200 can carry
2100-492: The United States , Barack Obama , offered his condolences: "Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody in Israel who is affected by this tragedy and the family and loved ones of those in harm's way." Upon hearing the news of the fire, Obama told his aides to assist in the firefighting effort in any way that Israel needs. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom , William Hague , posted
2184-670: The United States Forest Service , despite not being operational. The aircraft was sitting without engines at the boneyard and maintenance facility at Pinal Airpark outside Marana, Arizona , in need of a “C” check and other maintenance, which would cost US$ 1 million. Evergreen deferred the maintenance because of financial difficulties, planning to have the Supertanker ready in time for the 2014 fire season. On November 30, 2013, Evergreen effectively shut down operations. In December 2013, Marana Aerospace Solutions proceeded with
2268-904: The B747 Supertanker. Other former military aircraft utilized as firefighting air tankers in the U.S. in the past included the B-17 and the PB4Y-2 , a version of the B-24 . The Lead Plane function directs the activities of the airtankers by both verbal target descriptions and by physically leading the airtankers on the drop run. The leadplane is typically referred to as a "Bird Dog" in Canada or "Supervision" aircraft in Australia. The O-2 Skymaster , Cessna 310 and OV-10 Bronco have been used as spotter and lead plane platforms. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has also used
2352-607: The BAe 146 jetliner to the role of air tanker. Another modern-era passenger aircraft that has now been converted for aerial firefighting missions in the U.S. is the McDonnell Douglas MD-87 jetliner operated by Erickson Aero Tanker. The MD-87 can carry up to 4,000 gallons of fire fighting retardant. Coulson Aviation unveiled a Boeing 737-300 firefighting conversion in May 2017. Six aircraft have been purchased from Southwest Airlines for
2436-546: The Carmel Forest Hotel and the Carmel Farm. The casualty information center opened for the first time since the 2006 Lebanon War . In the days following the outbreak of the blaze, other fires erupted sporadically far from the main site, causing police to raise its alert level nationwide. Investigators concluded that arsonists were attempting to "hitch a ride" on the Carmel fire. Police Insp.-Gen. David Cohen stated at
2520-680: The Carmel proved that Israel is not prepared for war or a mass terrorist strike that would cause many casualties in the home front." As a result of the fire, the Israel Fire and Rescue Services adopted a new doctrine for fighting forest fires. On May 12, 2011, the Israeli Air Force inaugurated 249 Squadron, a new aerial firefighting unit. At the day of its inauguration, the unit, based at Sde Dov Airport , operated seven Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft. On June 20, 2012, Israel's State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss released his final report about
2604-467: The Erickson AirCrane, are also outfitted with a front-mounted foam cannon. Buckets are usually filled by submerging or dipping them in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or portable tanks. The most popular of the buckets is the flexible Bambi Bucket . Tanks can be filled on the ground (by water tenders or truck-mounted systems) or water can be siphoned from lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or a portable tank through
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2688-620: The Israeli-Arab localities of Tayibe and Barta'a ; on Sunday, December 5, 21 Palestinian firefighters joined the efforts in the Carmel Forest area itself. Senior Palestinian Authority security official Ahmed Rizek Abu Rabia said: "This is a human catastrophe. The Palestinian side is offering all the help it can through official channels." On December 4, the Israeli government decided to hire Evergreen's Boeing 747 Supertanker to help extinguish
2772-585: The Northern Region Director of the Jewish National Fund , estimated that 1.5 million trees burnt in the fire. However, another 4 million trees have reportedly burned since then. According to officials, nearly half of the 150,000 dunams (15,000 ha; 37,000 acres) of the Carmel Forest reserve have been destroyed in the fire. Officials say it could take dozens of years to rehabilitate the area. Over 17,000 people were evacuated on December 2 as
2856-592: The RADS system conversion which was planned to enter service in December 2017. The 737 aircraft is smaller than the C-130Q which allows for a wider range of airfields to be utilized. Britt Coulson further stated the aircraft will be able to retain the current seat and galley configuration for tanker operations. On 22 November 2018, the 737 was used for the first time to fight a fire near Newcastle, Australia. In July 2022, Airbus tested
2940-955: The S-2T) as used by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), as well as the Conair Firecat version developed and used by Conair Group Inc. of Canada, while the Douglas DC-4 , the Douglas DC-7 , the Lockheed C-130 Hercules , the Lockheed P-2 Neptune , and the Lockheed P-3 Orion – and its commercial equivalent, the L-188 Electra – have been used as air tankers. Conair also converted
3024-578: The Supertanker was deployed to Israel to fight the Mount Carmel forest fire . This was carried out along with crew and utilities donated by other international fire agencies. On June 9, 2011 the Supertanker was also deployed to fight the Wallow Fire in the US state of Arizona which was at 607 square miles (1,570 km) burned and uncontained at the time. Since May 2016, Global SuperTanker has been based in Colorado at
3108-540: The United States, most of these aircraft are privately owned and contracted to government agencies, and the National Guard and the U.S. Marines also maintain fleets of firefighting aircraft. On May 10, 2004, The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that they were cancelling contracts with operators of 33 heavy airtankers. They cited liability concerns and an inability to safely manage
3192-545: The Zionist disaster." However, Ynetnews quoted Palestinian official Ahmed Rizek Abu Rabia as saying, "This is a human catastrophe. The Palestinian side is offering all the help it can through official channels." The Hezbollah-run media outlet Al-Manar said that the fire signaled Israeli vulnerability to war and mass terrorism: "The great Carmel fire has embarrassed Israel's firefighting capabilities and proved its almost complete incompetence. The enormous blaze that broke out on
3276-613: The aerial firefighting capacity of the A400M using a roll-on/roll-off kit comprising a 20-tonne water tank and piping allowing the load to be expelled from the end of the cargo ramp. All links, citations and data sources are listed in the paragraph above. For accident and grounding citations, see paragraph below table. Category legend: Light: under 1,000 US gallons (3,800 L), Medium: under 10,000 US gallons (38,000 L), Heavy: under 20,000 US gallons (76,000 L), Super heavy: over 20,000 US gallons (76,000 L) – currently only used for
3360-680: The aerial firefighting fleet, newer purpose-built tankers have since come online. The smallest are the Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs). These are agricultural sprayers that generally drop about 800 US gallons (3,000 L) of water or retardant. Examples include the Air Tractor AT-802 , which can deliver around 800 gallons of water or fire retardant solution in each drop, and the Soviet Antonov An-2 biplane. Both of these aircraft can be fitted with floats that scoop water from
3444-684: The aircraft currently. The Global Supertanker (N744ST, tanker/tail number 944) is a Boeing 747-400 dubbed the Spirit of John Muir . It was certified for firefighting flights by the Federal Aviation Administration in September 2016 and fought fires in Chile and Israel before being contracted by U.S. officials to fight California wildfires in 2017. It also took part in firefighting in Bolivia in August 2019. It
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3528-571: The aircraft was the initiative of philanthropist Lucy Avilés and her husband Benjamin Walton, who funded the costs. In September 2017, the Supertanker was contracted by Cal Fire. In December 2017, the plane was leased by Cal Fire during the late-2017 wildfire season with most drops over the Thomas Fire . In July 2018, the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control signed a CWN contract to use
3612-453: The aircraft was under a call-when-needed (CWN) contract with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) and was stationed at Sacramento McClellan Airport outside of Sacramento , California . Regulations allow for five individuals that are not crewmembers to be carried in the upper deck. This area could be used for command and control, mapping, incident monitoring and video/communications operations. In December 2010,
3696-471: The beginning of better relations between our two countries". The fire caused widespread damage to property, as well as ecological damage. It initially spread very quickly because of the wind, and cut off power to houses in the vicinity. At least 40,000 dunams (4,000 ha ; 9,900 acres ) of forest were destroyed, and damage was caused to the Carmel Hai-Bar Nature Reserve . Omri Bone,
3780-621: The blaze, and were assisted by Israeli volunteer firefighters and the Israel Police . In addition, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sent two battalions to assist with the extinguishing of the fire and various evacuations. It also sent heavy ground equipment from nearby military bases, including firetrucks, water tanks, cranes , D9 bulldozers and other equipment. The Israeli Air Force used an unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance and intelligence collection. Use of other aircraft
3864-632: The blaze. The plane landed at 01:00 at Ben Gurion International Airport . The plane took off and at about 11:00 it released its first cargo of water. Later in the day it made a second sortie, dropping fire retardant. The Turkish assistance was considered surprising, due to the strain on the Turkish–Israeli relationship since the Turkish Gaza flotilla raid . At a Security Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu thanked Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan (and others) for their offer to help, saying he "hopes this will be
3948-512: The burning bus; however, those who fled encountered the intense blaze outside. An officer and two cadets were able to escape and were picked up by a passing motorist, who then drove through the fire to safety. Most of the IPS officers and cadets had been in their 20s and 30s, and several were Druze . The incident is the country's deadliest single peacetime event involving security forces . The Israel Fire and Rescue Services attempted to contain
4032-477: The chief of Haifa's police, and three firefighters, among them a 16-year-old volunteer. More than 17,000 people were evacuated, including several villages in the vicinity of the fire, and there was considerable property and environmental damage. The fire appeared to be caused by human activity near the Druze town of Isfiya . On 6 December a 14-year-old resident of the town told police that he had inadvertently started
4116-529: The conflagration. Hamas 's informal 'Prime Minister' Ismail Haniyeh told Reuters in a video interview: "These are plagues from God. Allah is punishing [the Israelis] from a place they did not expect." Ynetnews said that a Palestinian official identified with Islamic Jihad had harshly protested the unanimous support for Israel from various Islamic countries such as Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey, condemning those Arab leaders "whose hearts fill with compassion for
4200-554: The contents of the tank to be released at multiple intervals while in flight. According to the company, the aircraft was capable of laying down a swath of fire retardant 3 mi (4.8 km) long and as wide as 150 ft (46 m). A top speed of nearly 600 mph (970 km/h; 520 kn) allowed it to be almost anywhere in the U.S. in approximately 5 hours and reach most of the world in under 20 hours. The Supertanker can operate from any airport with an 8,000-foot (2,400 m) long runway and suitable facilities. In late 2009,
4284-441: The court released them from custody under restrictive conditions. There were unconfirmed reports of the teens having hurled burning waste products during a picnic. The same day, police announced that they had arrested two additional youths from Isfiya the previous night, and that more arrests could be expected soon. In the evening of 6 December, police announced that a 14-year-old resident of Isfiya admitted to inadvertently starting
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#17328511814454368-478: The disaster had been "the tremendous outpouring of international aid, including from the Muslim world," several copy-cat fires were later carried out by Arab Israeli terrorists . A few weeks after the fire, Israeli firefighters expressed disappointment with the Israeli government for not including extra money in the state budget for the next two years to bolster up Israel's firefighting capabilities. The President of
4452-490: The evacuation of a nearby factory. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within several hours. Police reported finding a bicycle and a bag containing a wig near the area, increasing suspicions that arson was involved. The same day, two men in their 30s from the Druze town of Daliyat al-Karmel were apprehended by police and were suspected of hurling Molotov cocktails in a forest on a Carmel mountain hilltop, but were released once it
4536-537: The existing sprayer tank system from the 747-100 into the newer Boeing 747-400 (N744ST) airframe. In 2021, Global SuperTanker Services began facing financial difficulties, and in April 2021, the company shut down. They sold the Supertanker to National Airlines to be converted into a cargo aircraft. Aerial firefighting#airtanker The idea of fighting forest fires from the air dates back at least as far as Friedrich Karl von Koenig-Warthausen 's observations on seeing
4620-434: The fire at a higher altitude to coordinate the efforts of the smoke jumper, helicopter, media, and retardant-dropping aircraft, while lead planes fly low-level ahead of the airtankers to mark the trajectory for the drop, and ensure overall safety for both ground-based and aerial firefighters. Water is not usually dropped directly on flames because its effect is short-lived. Fire retardants are not typically used to extinguish
4704-407: The fire with a nargila coal. The teen's father argued that his son was witnessed in school at the time and could not have started the blaze. The fire was followed by a wave of arsons throughout Israel and the West Bank . These fires, which initially created confusion regarding the source of the Carmel blaze, were all extinguished within a few hours of being lit. The motivation for the attacks
4788-595: The fire, but instead are used to contain the fire, or slow it down to allow ground crews to contain it. Because of this, retardants are usually dropped in front of or around a moving fire, rather than directly on it, creating a firebreak . Aerial firefighting is most effectively used in conjunction with ground-based efforts, as aircraft are only one weapon in the firefighting arsenal. However, there have been cases of aircraft extinguishing fires long before ground crews were able to reach them. Some firefighting aircraft can refill their tanks in mid-flight, by flying down to skim
4872-526: The fire. The Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS), often called "air attack", is usually flying at an altitude above other resources assigned to the fire, often in a fixed-wing plane but occasionally (depending on assigned resources or the availability of qualified personnel) in a helicopter. Depending on the size, location, and assessed potential of the wildfire, the "air attack" or ATGS person may be charged with initial attack (the first response of firefighting assets on fire suppression), or with extended attack,
4956-509: The fire. The report found a large number of operational failures that contributed to the devastating results of the fire, and attributed special responsibility to Israel's Finance minister Yuval Steinitz and interior minister Eli Yishai . Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch were also named as sharing in the responsibility for the outcome. Lindenstrauss argued for accountability but did not demand
5040-460: The fire. The teen told investigators that after smoking a nargila , he threw a lit coal into an open area and was so shocked by the result that he returned to school without telling anyone what he had done. Druze Member of Knesset Ayoob Kara , a resident of Isfiya near where the fire broke out, had said on the evening of 2 December that he had received information that the fire was a terror act . MKs Ya'akov Katz and Michael Ben-Ari also cited
5124-679: The fires. This was the first time a jet aircraft was used as a lead plane or "bird dog". The Department of Parks and Wildlife in Western Australia operates a fleet of nine American Champion Scouts 8GCBC during the summer months as spotter aircraft and Air Attack platforms. The Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and the Yukon Territories contract to supply Twin Commander 690 as bird dog aircraft for their air tanker fleets. Air Spray owns 9 Twin Commander 690 for use as bird dog aircraft. In
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#17328511814455208-403: The fleet after the wing failure and resulting crash of a C-130 A Hercules in California and a PB4Y-2 in Colorado during the summer of 2002. Both aged aircraft broke up in flight due to catastrophic fatigue cracks at the wing roots. After subsequent third-party examination and extensive testing of all USFS contracted heavy airtankers, three companies were awarded contracts and now maintain
5292-402: The investigation of the incident is in its early phases and cautioned against drawing premature conclusions. On 4 December, police arrested two adolescent brothers from the Druze town of Isfiya on suspicion of having caused the fire through negligence. Their family denied the accusation. On 5 December, the Haifa Magistrate Court extended the brothers' remand for three days, and on 6 December
5376-497: The next day. Turkey sent two firefighting aircraft, which started to extinguish fire in the early hours of December 3. The Netherlands sent four fire extinguisher-aircraft , which could do their job as early as Monday, the 6th of December, since Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Netherlands, as well as Belgium , Germany , Finland , Norway , and Russia specifically for help. The Swiss Air Force provided three Cougar Helicopter with fire fighting capabilities. Cyprus dispatched
5460-683: The ongoing response to and management of a major wildfire requiring additional resources including engines, ground crews, and other aviation personnel and aircraft needed to control the fire and establish control lines or firelines ahead of the wildfire. A wide variety of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are used for aerial firefighting. In 2003, it was reported that "The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management own, lease, or contract for nearly 1,000 aircraft each fire season, with annual expenditures in excess of US$ 250 million in recent years". Helicopters may be fitted with tanks (helitankers) or they may carry buckets. Some helitankers, such as
5544-404: The possibility that the fire was an act of terrorism and called for an investigation. The fire claimed 44 lives. Thirty-seven were prison service officers course cadets and their commanding officers, who were on the way to Damun Prison to evacuate its prisoners from the path of the flames. Their bus driver also perished, as did three senior police officers, two firefighters and one teenager who
5628-404: The project and was waiting for both US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification and an evaluation contract from the US Forest Service . In October 2006 the FAA issued Evergreen a supplementary type certificate for the "installation and removal" of internal tanks, associated systems and the support structure for the aerial dispersal of liquids. The Global Supertanker was equipped with
5712-505: The sale of the Supertanker, in lieu of rent and other payments that Evergreen had failed to make. An involuntary bankruptcy case was filed against Evergreen later in the month, and then Evergreen itself filed for dissolution under Chapter 7 bankruptcy on December 31, 2013, freezing the sale. On December 31, 2013, Evergreen International Airlines filed a Chapter 7 petition with the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware with substantially all assets (including all 747 airframes) subsequently sold to
5796-495: The same class of vehicles, though it sometimes has a connotation of amphibians . Air attack is an industry term used for the actual application of aerial resources, both fixed-wing and rotorcraft, on a fire. Within the industry, though, "air attack" may also refer to the supervisor in the air (usually in a fixed-wing aircraft) who supervises the process of attacking the wildfire from the air, including fixed-wing airtankers, helicopters, and any other aviation resources assigned to
5880-405: The supertanker over US Forest Service lands. This followed media inquiries earlier in the summer as to why the supertanker wasn't contracted to fight the fires burning in its home state. In November 2018, the Global SuperTanker was deployed to northern California to assist with the out-of-control Camp Fire in Butte County. On June 14, 2013, the Supertanker received a call-when-needed contract from
5964-417: The surface of a body of water. Similar in configuration to the World War II–era Consolidated PBY Catalina , the Canadair CL-215 and its derivative the CL-415 are designed and built specifically for firefighting. The Croatian Air Force uses six CL-415s as well as six AT 802s for firefighting purposes. Medium-sized modified aircraft include the Grumman S-2 Tracker ( retrofitted with turboprop engines as
6048-653: The surface of large bodies of water. One example is the Bombardier CL-415 . This is particularly useful in rural areas where flying back to an airbase for refills may take too much time. In 2002 an Ontario CL-415 crew was able to refill 100 times within a 4-hour mission, delivering 162,000 US gallons (613,240 L) or 1,350,000 pounds (612 t) of water on a fire near Dryden, Ontario (June 1, 2002 Dryden fire # 10 Tanker #271 civil ident C-GOGE). 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire The Mount Carmel Forest Fire ( Hebrew : אסון הכרמל Ason HaKarmel , "The Carmel Disaster")
6132-475: The use of internal water tanks was adopted instead. The Mendocino Air Tanker Squad formed by Joseph Bolles Ely in 1956 was the first such unit in the United States to drop water and retardant on fires. Based at the Willows-Glenn County Airport it soon led the way for other agencies to form similar squads. Though World War II- and Korean War-era bombers were for a long time the mainstay of
6216-461: The vicinity of Adi , at Route 70 by Bat Shelomo , at Beit Rimon Junction in the vicinity of Nazareth , and near Mashhad . The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu , announced a national day of mourning , but it did not materialize. Events celebrating of Hanukkah were canceled in Haifa . The Jerusalem Post stated in an editorial that although perhaps the only positive development of
6300-528: The wildfires raging in the northern port city of Haifa and elsewhere throughout the country. In January 2017, the Global Supertanker was deployed to Santiago , Chile , to help the local authorities to combat one of the biggest series of wildfires in the country's history. The wildfires in the south of the country, at the time of the arrival of the 747-400, had burnt more than 494,000 acres (200,000 ha) of forests and hundreds of houses. The operation of
6384-556: Was a deadly forest fire that started on Mount Carmel in northern Israel , just south of Haifa . The fire began at about 11:00 local time on 2 December 2010, and spread quickly, consuming much of the Mediterranean forest covering the region. With a death toll of 44, it was the deadliest civil disaster in Israeli history until the 2021 Meron stampede . Those killed included 36 Israel Prison Service members, most of them new recruits, as well as three senior police officers, among them
6468-512: Was a volunteer firefighter. On December 4, it was announced that all of the victims had been identified. 36 Israel Prison Service members, of whom the majority were new recruits, died in the fire. After the fire started on December 2, the Damun Prison in the area of the fire called for reinforcements in order to evacuate prisoners. A bus carrying Israel Prison Service cadets came to assist, but caught fire on its way. Several Police officers and
6552-538: Was based on a 747-100 originally manufactured by Boeing in 1971 for Delta Air Lines . It entered service for the first time in 2009, fighting a fire in Cuenca, Spain , and made its first American operation on August 31, 2009 at the Oak Glen Fire in California. It is no longer in service. The third 747 Supertanker was developed by Global Supertanker Services (which acquired most of Evergreen's assets), who owns and operates
6636-414: Was established that they had no connection to the original fire, and police said that no wrongdoing was established with certainty. A small fire that erupted in Haifa's Neve Yosef neighborhood in the afternoon was extinguished by midnight. A fire erupted near the northern Bedouin village of Basmat Tab'un , causing no reported injuries or damage. Police suspected arson. A brush fire that broke out in
6720-407: Was not immediately clear. Israeli police have referred to some of these fires as arson. Government officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman , called on other countries to help assist in firefighting efforts, and the Israel Defense Forces mobilized troops for the same purpose. The fire was defeated on 5 December after raging for 77 hours,
6804-445: Was originally speculated that the fire was caused by the burning of an illegal garbage dump and spread due to the dry conditions and strong winds. Haifa's Mayor Yona Yahav stated that the problem was known and it was "just a matter of time until a calamity occurred". Israel Police suggested that the fire was caused due to a bonfire that was lit by local residents and not extinguished properly and in time. However, they stressed that
6888-555: Was possible that a country that went through several wars could have such a significant shortage of planes and firefighting materials. Officials in Jerusalem are reported to have said, "The PR damage in the world is huge; Israel is perceived as fully incompetent." Israeli-Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh showed in The Jerusalem Post , based on reader comments from readers on Arabic sites, that not all Arabs supported helping put out
6972-478: Was prohibited because of a decade-old decision that prohibits military aircraft from being used in such a situation. Israel requested help from various countries, including the United States . Turkey and Greece offered to send assistance to fight the fire. Greece was the first country to respond, sending 4 CL-415 aircraft supported by 1 C-130H with technicians and equipment to Ramat David Airbase . Greece also sent 1 more CL-415 and 1 C-130H with firefighters
7056-638: Was retired in 2021. Development started after the 2002 fire season, which saw the fatal crashes of two air tankers in the United States. The accidents, involving a Lockheed C-130 Hercules and a Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer , prompted the US Department of Interior to issue an official request for information on next-generation airtankers. Evergreen proposed to convert up to four of its Boeing 747-200 Freighters into Supertankers. The first converted Boeing 747 (N470EV) made its maiden flight on February 19, 2004. By June 2006, Evergreen had spent $ 40 million on
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