Earlier this month, the out -of -control mountain fire threatened thousands of Los Angeles residents, and the company that extinguished the fire from the air raced the air -tilted machine and water bombers to the area. It should have been off -season.
California Forestry and Fire Department (Cal Fire) have more than 60 fixed -wing and rotor firefighting aircraft, calling it the largest civil fleet in the same kind.
However, the federal government, the United States states, and the countries from Australia to Chile to South Korea hire companies with their own private fleets to help extinguish the fire. These aircraft are equipped with aircraft specializing in equipment.
Joel Kerley, the CEO of 10 TANKER Air Carrier, in Albekky, New Mexico, said, “I am lucky to have two” aircraft to help extinguish the fire. The company has a fleet consisting of four modified DC-10 aircraft. These aircraft are called super-large air tankers (VLAT).
On January 11, 2025, the fire of Palisz, Mandeville Canyon, Los Angeles, California, USA, and a aircraft fell from the air.
Shannon Staprton | Reuters
The wildfire season in the United States usually signed a All -weather contract with the US Forestry Administration with the US Forestry Agency with similar companies with similar companies. In 2023, the US Forestry Administration extended a 10 -year contract worth reaching $ 7.2 billion in 10 Teker and four other suppliers.
Outside these months, providers usually call when needed. These companies said that the demand for its services throughout the year continued to grow.
According to the UN Environmental Planning Department, the 21st century wildfire is expected to become more common and serious. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said that data seems to show that the area of ​​the United States has been destroyed by mountain fires in the past two decades.
“There is no enough air tanker to use,” said Kle, the former Air Manager of the Indian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of the Interior.
On January 11, 2025, the Palisades Fire, which occurred near the Mandveville Canyon, Los Angeles, California, USA, was one of the fires that occurred at the same time. Both flowers and cars were covered by flame retardant.
Zhao Line | Reuters
In recent years, some countries that have encountered severe mountain fires, such as Australia, have been establishing their own firefighting fleets. Keri said they need to expand the fleet, or companies like him must expand the scale to meet the growing needs.
Clees said that the fire of Palissez and Eaton is one of the most complicated fires. Driven by the high -rush -level wind, Altadine and other communities were razed to the flat land and are one of the worst regions in California history. They also remind firefighters, government officials, and the public that the fire may happen at the most unexpected time.
These two fires burned more than 37,000 acres of land, damaged or destroyed more than 16,000 houses, buildings and other buildings, and became the two most destructive wildfires in California. According to the California Fire Bureau, at least 28 people died.
Kerry said that at the beginning of the New Year, he asked pilots to go to the fire field, and he regarded the fire field as a “super cup” fire response. 10 TANKER planes have launched more than 273,000 gallon flame retardants in Eaton and Palissez fires.
As of Friday, these two fires have been basically controlled, but with the rapid spread of Hugas’s fire in the northern part of Los Angeles, it has caused a new round of evacuation. Companies like Kerley’s are still standing.
On January 11, 2025, from Woodland Hills near Los Angeles, California, can be seen that an air tanker put a flame retardant into the Palisades Fire, which swept a flame retardant. A fire that happened at the same time in Los Angeles County.
Zhao Line | Reuters
Due to a devastating fire in Los Angeles, at the time, the wild fire season in the area, some of the 10 tankers’ aircraft were in a routine maintenance in the early days of the battle. And he is not alone.
Sam Davis, CEO of Belgrade Airlines, said: “We are maintaining a lot of winter maintenance of all aircraft.” Bridge Aviation Company, The company has a Canadian super tokn fleet that scoop up the water while flying along the water and pour water near the fire. They can travel multiple times by flight.
Davis said: “This is the motivation to promote the first aircraft to leave the factory.”
In November, Bridger announced the revenue and profits of its record in the third quarter, saying that “the continued dry weather in the western United States continued to operate in November.” It has raised its revenue this year’s revenue from the previous $ 70 million to $ 86 million to $ 95 million.
Increasing the new aircraft fleet is not easy or fast.
Aero Air President Kevin McCullough also offers air tankers, which sent some MD-87 aircraft to Los Angeles fire scene. He said that it would take about a year and a half to convert an injection machine into a tanker to extinguish the fire.
“This is not to say that you can do this as long as you throw a tank in,” he said. “You are completely transforming the plane and turning it into a flame bomber.”
McCallo said that the development of these jet tankers was carried out privately. I hope that it will eventually obtain government contracts to provide services, but “there is never any guarantee.”
How to extinguish the fire in the air
Specialized pilots spray water or flame retardants from the air to help assist firefighters on the ground. This heavy, bright red flame retardant is usually dripped on the fire to block the path of the flame.
Paul Petersen, an executive director of United Aerial, said: “The challenge to spray water or flame retardant is that when the fire occurs, in most cases, the fire is not in a flat area, nor is it in the blue sky and quiet days.
10 TANKER’s Kerley said that some pilots have a military background and other pilots come from passenger airlines. The age span of the air firefighter for decades. He has nearly 30 employees.
Each DC-10 of the company is assigned eight mechanics.
“In his career, this is a strange duck,” Kley said.
On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, a Super Scooper aircraft sprinkled water in the fire in the Palishaz fire in Palisz, Pacific, California.
Blaine Dabruger | Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times | Getty Pictures Club
There are also some natural forces to respond: in early January, San Anna’s wind accompanied the hurricane, which promoted the spread of the fire in the Los Angeles region and caused some aircraft to fly in advance.
Nearly 40 years ago, the last DC-10 aircraft was offline on the production line of Macao Company near Long Beach, California, but the 10 TANKER aircraft has been re-equipped, which can carry and accurately put 9,500 gallon flame retardants.
On Thursday, January 9, 2025, a super shovel water spray fire machine was supplemented from the Pacific on the Beach of Wil Rogeros, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Gil Conventar | Bloomberg | Getty Picture Club
The spoons used by Bridger Aerospace were manufactured by the Canadian Dehavilan Aircraft Corporation, and they are becoming more and more sought after. These special aircraft can draw 1,600 gallons from nearby water.
Some governments are enhanced their fleets by ordering the latest models that are developing.
Devarland, headquartered in Kagali, said last August that the company won an order from the new generation of EU countries DHC-515 and is expected to be put into operation in 2028.
The early Scooper was originally built in the 1970s. Dehavilan’s new generation plans to improve the functions such as high temperature resistance, water droplet control and anticorrosive corrosion of the cockpit air conditioner, which helps avoid damage caused by saline.
Neil Sweeney, Vice President of the company’s corporate affairs, said: “Considering the age and climate change of aircraft, demand will only increase.” “The so -called off -season no longer exists.”
—Erin Black, CNBC’s Erin Black, contributed to this report.
