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Aircraft play a vital role in fire suppression

The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) employs a variety of methods in the fight to suppress wildfires.

By Department of Sustainability and Environment - 28th October 2003 - Back to News

Some of the most valuable and effective tools are the huge range of aircraft that can be deployed to attack a fire from above in the support of ground firefighting crews.

These aircraft can be fixed wing or helicopters and range from reconnaissance aircraft to water, foam and retardant bombers, helicopters that carry and deploy rappel crews in remote terrain and the well-known Erickson aircrane.

Air Attack Supervisor, Geoff Pike said that one of the main the advantages of using aircraft is that they can access some of the more remote and rugged terrain that our region is renowned for.

"Firefighters can gain access to the fire front by rapelling in from the air, instead of having to walk for gruelling kilometres through impenetrable bush," Mr Pike said.

"Aircraft also ensure the safety of firefighters on the ground by reporting on weather changes and subsequent changes in fire behaviour that might affect them."

Specialised aircraft are used for mapping the position of the fire, with this information fed back to strategic planners and fire managers for better deployment of resources onto the fire and for increased knowledge of fire behaviour and movement.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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