JOHN CARR
Firehouse.Com Contributing Writer/Photographer

Also See: Air Tankers and Support | Helicopters | SlideShow

Few will argue that to effectively extinguish a wildfire it takes firefighters working on the ground. Firefighters using hand tools, water bladders and hoselines up close and personal. This is the way it was done fifty years ago and it is probably the way it will be done fifty years from now. Despite the seemingly unchanging role of the "groundpounder" there have been many changes in technology over the years.

Photo By John Carr

The use of high tech gadgetry, computers, weather satellites and infrared cameras, has found its way in the wildfire arena. The increased role of safety on the fire has required a rethinking of how firefighters on the ground do their jobs. One tool that has improved both firefighter effectiveness and safety has come from the sky, in the form of air operations. While the sight of an air tanker dropping a load retardant on a fire has become commonplace on the evening news it is much more complex than a ten second video shot depicts.

Air Operations. Under the Incident Command System (ICS) the Incident Command Post (ICP) is the nerve center for all wildfire operations. On initial attack responses the ICP is usually a supervisor or officer on the first responding unit. The Incident Commander (IC) sets up a command post near the fire, often using a fire vehicle as the ICP. As the fire expands in scope and severity so does the complexity of the command structure. As fire managers are brought on board the ICP changes as well. It is often moved to a remote location. This provides security to the ICP. The ICP requires the setup of sophisticated equipment that can not be easily moved. This also affords fire managers an opportunity to perform their jobs without interferences from fireground operations.

Air Attack. As part of the Planning and Operations Divisions under ICS, Air Attack plays a paramount role. On smaller fires the incident commander will coordinate air and ground operations. If a fire grows, or poses risks to safety or structures Air Attack may be required. Initially an aircraft, generally fixed wing, assumes the role of Air Attack. The pilot of the plane, or a passenger with fire and air experience, will become the incident commander's eyes in the sky. Air Attack will perform reconnaissance of the fire. Working with Planning and Operations they will help decide the best course of action. Once an action has been established Air Attack will work with aircraft such as retardant tankers and helicopters in implementing those actions. On larger more complex fires Lead Pilots may takeover the functions of leading "slurry bombers" to the fire and their actual drop. Air Attack will then work with Operations Sector Chiefs, field observers and supervisors on the ground to insure efficient use of air operations.

Safety. Perhaps the greatest role of Air Attack is safety. By monitoring the fire, Air Attack can often see changes in fire behavior long before ground personnel are aware of them. Alerting firefighters on the ground to a change in weather, wind, topography, fuel types or the movement of the fire is critical to safe operations. The early warning and the minutes it would take to pull a handcrew away from the fire is often the difference between life, and serious injury or death.

The use of lead planes has also had an immeasurable effect on air operation and safety. The policy of using Lead Planes on fires was established in 1975. Since that time there have been no tanker crashes on a fire when being directed by a Lead Pilot. Lead Pilots try and arrive at a fire prior to the arrival of retardant tankers. They will scout the area for hazards such as power lines or towers. They will observe the fire and determine the best route of attack. Lead Pilots will also fly the route they wish the tanker to take, before the tanker makes its run. According to Tom Landon, U. S. Forest Service Region 2 Aviation Coordinator the practice of using a Lead Pilot on a fire proved invaluable, just recently. The Lead Pilot on the Coal Seam Fire, burning near Glenwood Springs, CO, in June, may have saved both a tanker, and the lives of its pilots. The Lead Pilot was making a preliminary run over the fire. Entering the smoke the plane was pounded by turbulence. It was so severe that it bent the wings and fuselage of the twin engine lead plane. The pilot successfully landed the crippled plane but the damage ended up totally it. Had the tanker entered the turbulence with its heavy load of retardant it would have undoubtedly crashed.

The use of air operations in battling America's wildfires has proven invaluable. There is no doubt that the role of aircraft will continue to expand.

Also See: Air Tankers and Support | Helicopters | SlideShow