Why do forest firest seem to last for weeks? Maybe because the little planes that drop water on the fires are tiny. Now that all changes with the DC-10 becoming the airplane of choice for the California Department of Forest and Fire Protection (CDF).
"In a first for fire fighting, the [CDF] used a modified DC-10 to drop fire retardant on a significant blaze known as “the Sawtooth Fireâ€. Three separate external tanks with a capacity of 12,000 U.S. gallons of retardant were utilized during the two separate flights by Tanker 910 so it could build a buffer of retardant between the Fire and the community of Big Bear while allowing ground crews to get in position to build a containment line. The modified jet is one of two new jet-based services which were vying to be the first to demonstrate their effectiveness. The jets are a new tool developed in recent times to combat the destructiveness of fire in the United States where annually there are 80,000 wildland fires which destroy around six million acres and cost US$1.2 billion in fire suppression costs. The true cost of wildfire is much higher as when timber, tourism and property losses are added annual figures run near to US$10 billion." - Giz Magazine
Fighting Fires with a DC-10
Fighting Fires With A DC-10
Trend Themes
1. Jet-based Firefighting - The use of modified jet aircraft for firefighting could revolutionize the industry by enabling more efficient and effective fire control.
2. High-capacity Tanker Planes - Deploying high-capacity tanker planes like the DC-10 for firefighting could save valuable time and resources while improving fire suppression results.
3. Technology-driven Wildfire Management - With the increasing threat of wildfires, the need for technology-driven solutions like modified jet tanker planes will become essential to keeping communities safe and reducing fire-related losses.
Industry Implications
1. Aerospace - Manufacturers and suppliers of aircraft, avionics, and related technologies can benefit from increased demand for high-capacity tanker planes for firefighting applications.
2. Wildfire Suppression and Management - Organizations and agencies focused on wildfire suppression and management can take advantage of cutting-edge technologies like modified jet tanker planes to improve safety and effectiveness.
3. Insurance - Insurers will need to evolve risk assessment approaches in response to increasing wildfire threats, making investments in high-capacity tanker planes and other advanced technologies to limit fire-related losses more attractive.