Aerial firefighting resources can provide a great tactical advantage to incident commanders in the wildland fire sector with the right amount of strategic planning. This planning must include substantial anticipatory thinking and encompass several aspects of aviation operations. Ensuring the availability of the appropriate amount and type of air support requires a well-thought-out and supported plan of aircraft preparedness, aircrew training and individual crew proficiency. When these factors are all put together into a larger plan based on the unique wildland fire threats of a specific geographic area, the result will ensure the best preparedness for fighting a wildland fire while managing the expense of aviation assets.

Deployment decisions

The deployment of air assets is affected by different factors based on the area of operations. For example, an area of high human population adjacent to a wildland area is going to need, and be able to receive, a much faster response by firefighting assets than an open area of forest many miles away from any population centers. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, the importance of ensuring the least amount of property damage and threat to life is the primary reason for extinguishing or at least controlling fires as soon as possible; so, logically, air assets will be deployed closer to areas of the high population densities. Secondly, the amount of time involved in crossing great distances to arrive at the fire, as well as locating bodies of water for delivery to the fire line, can have a big impact on the effectiveness of aerial firefighting operations in the open wilderness. This is where the proper selection and assignment of aircraft types can have a significant impact, especially considering that the time of response can have a significant impact on a fire’s expansion.

There are two main types of operational aerial firefighting: initial attack and extended attack, each utilizing similar but different strategies. Areas of high population densities are far more concerned with initial attack operations. The intent of aerial initial attack is to ‘attack’ the fire with as many local water dropping assets as possible in the shortest amount of time to ensure a newly started fire remains as small as possible and under some level of control, while ground and outside air assets coming from greater distances arrive on scene. Should the fire continue to grow rapidly despite continued firefighting operations, the strategy will transition to an ‘extended attack’ effort to control and direct the fire away from structures and people, utilizing every available asset. The extended attack fire can last for days or even weeks in the wilderness areas and encompass thousands of acres of land.

In order to have the best preparedness for a fire event, the selection and location of air assets is very important

In order to have the best preparedness for a fire event, the selection and location of air assets is very important. For initial attack, the closer and more accurate the air assets, the better. Typically assigning several rapid-response Type 1 and Type 2 helicopters is the most effective in the initial attack period, followed shortly by fixed-wing airtankers and supervisory aircraft to manage the fire traffic area and aid in deconfliction. Further on, if the fire progresses into extended attack, or for fires breaking out in far-off wilderness areas, a constant rotation of firefighting helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft must be established to ensure a constant supply of water and retardant is maintained.

Crew education and training

The aircrews flying these aircraft must be prepared to respond at a moment’s notice to ensure the shortest response time and largest water application. This requires the aircrew to have an intimate knowledge of their aircraft’s performance and limitations, as well as a good knowledge of the local area where they will be operating. In preparing for a fire season, aircrew training, local area reconnaissance, and exercises with ground crew on communications and tactics are essential. This training begins at the end of an area’s fire season, not the beginning. Utilizing the off-season to conduct drills, aircraft qualification, proficiency and evaluation flights will ensure the best trained aircrews are available when they are needed most.

Constantly analyzing metrics, such as where fires have routinely started, the causes of these fires, and the effectiveness of past resource utilization in terms of typical fire growth and the amount of time aerial resources are assigned to a fire, are great ways to begin preparing for the next fire season. While there is no perfect formula for ensuring wildland fire starts don’t turn into large structure- and life-threatening events, planning and preparedness will allow the best allocation of the correct resources in the right areas, and give the populations of these areas the best chance of minimizing loss of life and property.

Planning and preparedness will allow the best allocation of the correct resources in the right areas, and give the populations of these areas the best chance of minimizing loss of life and property

Choosing the right aircraft

Allocation of resources can be a significant challenge for wildland firefighting leadership. Aerial firefighting resources can be extremely costly and are therefore limited in their quantities. Fixed-wing water- and retardant-dropping aircraft are much faster and best utilized for long distances and large fires. Closer in, slower rotary-wing assets are best utilized for their smaller but more accurate water-dropping capabilities, especially in the initial attack phase of a fire. Often, when a fire breaks out, the best solution is to assign the maximum number of air assets initially regardless of the size of the fire, and then reduce the number of assigned aircraft once firefighting assets assess the threat of spread given current conditions. This is especially important in areas where fires tend to spread rapidly and during high-fire-danger weather events, such as high wind speeds and extremely dry fuels.

Aircraft preparedness also must be planned for well ahead of a fire season. Comprehensive, labor-intensive aircraft inspections can take weeks to accomplish and should be planned for the off-season to ensure the best availability of resources. Metrics for historical flight times, as well as maintenance locations in relation to resource bases, all must be considered in deciding what aircraft are best assigned to an area.

Given the cost and availability of aviation resources, planning and preparation for large fire events will always be an ongoing process. Acquiring and allocating resources must be done in a comprehensive, well-thought-out manner, and a thorough analysis and understanding of aircraft utilization, its strengths and weaknesses, and the unique needs of differing geographical areas will provide the best possible use of available assets.