How do aircraft support the BCWS?
An essential part of the firefighting efforts of the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) is the use of aircraft.
With a fleet of approximately 40 aircraft, including both fixed-wing and rotary-wing, the BCWS has the ability to perform critical tasks such as water and retardant delivery, crew and personnel transportation, gear delivery, logistics support, fire patrols, and infrared scanning.
Because the main purpose of these aircraft is to support ground crews, they are deployed to help personnel protect critical values, slow wildfire spread, support control lines, and reduce heat of a wildfire, depending on the needs of those in the field.
What types of aircraft are used to fight wildfires in BC?
The main aircraft that BCWS utilizes are helicopters, water-skimmers, air tankers, and birddogs.
Helicopters are usually one of the first to attend a wildfire, as they often bring initial attack crews and essential equipment to the scene.
Larger helicopters with buckets are also deployed to support ground crews with water. These plastic buckets are attached to the bottom of a 150-foot longline, and the helicopter will fill it by dropping the line into a nearby water source, such as a river, creek, or lake. The helicopter will then go to the wildfire and find the best place to drop the water.
Sometimes these buckets of water are dropped directly over flames, however, they are also dropped in front of flames to reduce the heat and keep the wildfire calm so the ground crews can suppress it.
The BCWS also uses aircraft called water-skimmers, which are deployed in groups, to drop water on active wildfires.
When water-skimmers and picking up water from large water sources such as lakes, a probe comes down from the bottom of the float, and due to the speed of the plane, water is forced into a pipe system that pushes the liquid into the main body of the aircraft. During this process, foam concentrate is injected into the water to help it penetrate into the forest fuels when it is dropped directly on flames.
For retardant delivery, the BCWS utilizes air tankers, such as the land-based Avro RJ85. These planes are typically part of the initial wildfire attack and help create a perimeter around the fire with the purpose of slowing the spread and holding the fire.
Retardant is a chemical mixture containing ammonium polyphosphate, which reacts with the cellulose in the plant matter that it’s dropped on. When it gets heated up by the fire, a chemical reaction occurs that reduces the intensity of the fire.
All air tankers are led by planes called birddogs, which fly out ahead to assess the fire situation, and the air attack officer in the aircraft will determine the plan of action. To assist when the view is obstructed by smoke, an infrared camera is mounted on the nose of the birddog, displaying the heat levels of the flames.
Additionally, if more aircraft are needed for the firefighting efforts, the BCWS can receive support from other jurisdictions in Canada.
What can a BC resident do to support firefighting efforts?
To assist the BCWS during wildfire season, residents can implement wildfire mitigation strategies for their properties, and SparkProof is available to help develop a personalized property protection plan.