An Australian based research project is seeking to better understand how and why aircraft are used on wildfires and how effective that use is. As part of the project, the Research Team of Matt Plucinski (CSIRO) and Owen Price (University of Wollongong) have developed a survey to help them understand strategic and tactical objectives involved … The post Why fly – survey open on Australian aerial firefighting appeared first on Fire Aviation ..read more

It’s been over a month since President Donald Trump began his nationwide federal hiring freeze and job-cut effort. Since then, the impact on the nation’s wildland firefighting force remains unclear. A USDA spokesperson told Fire Aviation that the agency had laid off 2,000 probationary employees from the Forest Service, but claimed the layoffs were non-firefighters. … The post Cuts to wildland firefighter force – how have you been affected? appeared first on Fire Aviation ..read more

Two U.S. senators are pushing to consolidate the nation’s wildland firefighting force into a single agency. Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana and Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California recently introduced a Senate bill that would create the “National Wildland Fire Service.” The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to … The post ‘National Wildland Fire Service,’ federal firefighter consolidation push kicked off by US senators appeared first on Fire Aviation ..read more

Some fine detective work led by the FBI working closely with other agencies has resulted in charges against a 56-year-old Culver City man for flying his drone into a Super Scooper firefighting aircraft on the Palisades fire earlier this month. According to a media statement from the United States Attorney’s Office Central District of California, … The post Guilty plea to recklessly crashing drone into firefighting aircraft at Palisades appeared first on Fire Aviation ..read more

The “Wildfire Matters” podcast is produced by the Bureau of Land Management out of Boise, Idaho. Here is an episode from a couple of years back but, as reminded by the National Interagency Fire Center, it has retained its relevance in light of the current discussions on aircraft use in the southern California fires. In … The post Moving resources to where they are most needed appeared first on Fire Aviation ..read more

Here are the current resources on the Cal Fire: drawing from the largest fire aviation fleet in the world plus support from eight other states, Canada and Mexico. Cal Fire has been active in promoting what its aircraft can and cannot do in extreme wildfires. And here is the CAL FIRE Aviation Recognition Guide This … The post Cal Fire resources on the fire line appeared first on Fire Aviation ..read more

The fires today around Los Angeles have escalated quickly into a major situation that is likely to develop overnight as the high winds increase. The aerial firefighting effort at Pacific Palisades is being hampered by the strong winds that are being felt across southern California. While air attack was happening early in the day, the … The post High winds prove a challenge for aircraft on LA fires appeared first on Fire Aviation ..read more

The Australian aerial firefighting fleet has been upgraded as an anticipated long, hot summer begins across the south, with most states expanding access to more aerial options in their local fleets. Late season fires in the northern hemisphere have delayed the arrival of some the fleet. In Victoria, the announcement of the summer firefighting fleet … The post Australian fleet poised and ready, while waiting for late arrivals appeared first on Fire Aviation ..read more

An aerial firefighting company will soon introduce a new aircraft to the United States’ wildfire suppression arsenal as it begins upgrading a portion of its air tanker fleet. Neptune Aviation Services, based in Missoula, Montana, recently announced it would begin partially transitioning its airtanker platform from BAe 146s to Airbus A319s. The transition is expected … The post Aerial firefighting company upgrades its US arsenal appeared first on Fire Aviation ..read more

An audience of NASA, FEMA, and wildland firefighting officials recently witnessed the wildfire suppression capabilities of a reportedly “autonomous” Black Hawk helicopter. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, partnered with autonomous aerial wildfire containment developer Rain to demonstrate the takeoff, wildfire identification, and water-drop accuracy capabilities of the helicopter. Lockheed Martin originally announced the helicopter’s development … The post Self-driving aircraft may soon head to a wildfire near you appeared first on Fire Aviation ..read more