Latest news with #aerialfirefighting
CTV News
19-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘Absolutely critical': Teched out new planes lead B.C. wildfire response
Before an aircraft in British Columbia drops water on a wildfire or crews attack flames from the ground, a pilot like Rob Verstraten gets there first. 'We really have to size up the fire. We have to see what terrain and hazards we have to deal with,' Verstraten said. Verstraten flies in one of two new TBM 960 Air Attack planes from Conair Aerial Firefighting, known as 'birddogs,' alongside a provincial air attack officer. Together, they orchestrate the aerial response to a wildfire. It's a crucial role, according to Conair's director of business development. 'The role of the birddog team is absolutely critical to a mission. Without a strong birddog team your operation won't be safe, effective, or efficient,' said Michael Benson said. Benson says the two new birddogs are the most modern in the world, and cost roughly $10 million based on the purchase price paid by Conair and 13 modifications the Abbotsford, B.C.-based company made to maximize their effectiveness at fighting fires. The installed technology includes advanced weather sensors to detect lightning and infrared cameras. 'When you're flying over a fire, you can see the hot spots of the fire, and that displays itself in real time on a screen inside the cockpit. It allows the birddog team to make some real-time decisions to pinpoint accuracy around where they put retardant or fire-suppressing water,' Benson said. There are several factors taken into consideration when deciding whether to send in an air tanker filled with water or flame retardant, according to Eric Antifaeff from the B.C. Wildfire Service. 'The retardant is long term,' said the superintendent of air tanker operations. 'We drop it adjacent to the burning flame front, and it slows the growth of the fire. And then we could follow up with water to bring down the intensity and increase how long the retard is effective.' Kamloops provincial wildfire co-ordination centre The Kamloops provincial wildfire co-ordination centre is pictured in June 2025. (Andrew Johnson / CTV News) The birddog crew will decide what to drop on the fire and when, and will rehearse the route air tankers will take before calling in the larger planes to make their drops. Verstraten explained, 'We will test it ourselves first, acting as a tanker. We need to be able to operate in all the speed ranges that a tanker would typically operate in.' When a wildfire call comes in to the Kamloops, B.C., provincial co-ordination centre, the two-person crew can fire up the birddog in only five minutes. An air tanker can be filled with a full load of retardant in only a matter of eight minutes, taking off in 10. But, Antifaeff points out, the aerial attack is only part of the wildfire fighting equation. Rob Verstraten Pilot Rob Verstraten is shown. (Andrew Johnson / CTV News) 'I think the biggest misconception out there is that aircraft put out fires. We're just there to support the ground resources. You can have the best fleet in the world, but if it's not followed up by ground crews, heavy equipment and that kind of stuff, you're not going to be successful in fighting fires.' For pilots like Verstraten, who are trained to push emotion aside as wildfire is threatening a community, the reward is in the results. 'We really get a lot of satisfaction out of keeping people safe and trying to prevent any loss of life or property,' he said.
CBC
18-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Pilot lands helicopter in lake after it loses power while fighting northwestern Ontario wildfire
One of the helicopters used in the province's wildfire fighting efforts lost power this week over a lake in northwestern Ontario, forcing the pilot to use another way to land it safely in shallow water. The pilot was uninjured and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is gathering more information. The incident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. CT on Monday, a TSB spokesperson told CBC News in an email on Wednesday. "A Guardian Helicopters Inc. Bell 205A-1 helicopter was conducting aerial firefighting activities near Sandy Lake, Ont. Shortly after scooping a load of water from a lake, the engine stopped producing power," Chris Krepski said Wednesday. The pilot, who was the only one in the chopper, released "the water load and conducted an autorotation landing in a shallow part of the lake." Autorotation is a manoeuvre that pilots use to land a helicopter after it loses power. It involves using the upward airflow through the rotor blades to glide the helicopter to safety. Ontario 'thankful the pilot is safe' Wildfire fighting efforts have been underway in different parts of Canada, in one of the country's worst wildfire seasons. Canadian Armed Forces personnel were called to Sandy Lake First Nation — a remote Oji-Cree community about 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay — on June 8 to assist in the evacuation of over 2,000 people due to the region's largest wildfire, Red Lake 12. Red Lake 12, which was discovered May 28 and remains not under control, spans more than 177,000 hectares. It also prompted the evacuation of more than 800 people from Deer Lake First Nation, and a number of people from Keewaywin and North Spirit Lake. Krepski said that in the case of the Monday helicopter incident, an emergency locator transmitter was activated once it started going down and another helicopter in the area responded to the site. The TSB was quickly notified and is collecting information, but isn't currently deploying any investigators as the incident is being assessed, he said. A spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources said it's aware of what happened and is "thankful the pilot is safe." Alexandra Weber, a ministry spokesperson, said its aviation and safety experts "will fully co-operate" with Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board. The province's latest wildfire update, on Tuesday night, said Red Lake 12 had not moved any closer to Sandy Lake First Nation or Deer Lake First Nation, "owing to the firefighting work that has been performed on those sections of perimeter." "Heavy helicopters with buckets and water bombers have been used in recent days to help reduce fire intensity," Ontario Forest Fires said. "Firefighting crews, supported by bucketing helicopters, are making progress in consolidating hose lines and maintaining protective sprinkler systems on buildings and infrastructure in Deer Lake, Sandy Lake and Keewaywin." The wildfire hazard varies across the region. While rainfall has lowered the risks in the Thunder Bay and Fort Frances sectors, as well as the southern half of Nipigon, the far north is seeing moderate to high hazards.
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Bridger Aerospace Secures Record 120 Day Task Orders for Four of its Super Scoopers
BELGRADE, Mont., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc. ('Bridger', 'the Company' or 'Bridger Aerospace'), (NASDAQ: BAER, BAERW), one of the nation's largest aerial firefighting companies, today announced that is has received two separate 120 day task orders from the US Forest Service, each for two of its CL-415EAF 'Super Scooper' aircraft. These procurements are noteworthy in that they were received early in the wildfire year and are for a record 120 days each. 'These task orders recognize the Super Scoopers as one of the most effective tools in responding to wildfires as well as the Forest Service's growing willingness to pre-position assets in order to more rapidly respond, helping to limit damage and better protect lives and property from this increasingly year-round threat,' commented Sam Davis, Bridger's Chief Executive Officer. 'Securing these longer-term task orders also demonstrates the success of our strategy to have our fleet available and ready year-round to increase the visibility and predictability of our revenue.' Davis added, 'Two Scoopers are currently operating on a Task Order in Minnesota. The next Scooper Task Order start date is pending. The last two Super Scoopers will remain on a 'call when needed' basis.' About Bridger Aerospace Based in Belgrade, Montana, Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc. is one of the nation's largest aerial firefighting companies. Bridger provides aerial firefighting and wildfire management services to federal and state government agencies, including the United States Forest Service, across the nation, as well as internationally. More information about Bridger Aerospace is available at Investor Contacts Alison Ziegler Darrow Associates 201-220-2678 [email protected]
