On an agricultural property, fire is a key hazard and a potential disaster, which is what makes aerial firefighting companies so important. When fire strikes, entire crops and lands can be destroyed and the landowners can even face liability if the fire spreads. Aerial firefighters can fight the fire quickly from the air, stopping the flames to ensure minimal damage. Many aerial firefighters are trained in aerial forest fighting as well as in fighting general wildfires, so they respond quickly to any emergency.
Aerial firefighting companies can help you minimize damage to your business and can help you recover quickly. Since agricultural fires can spread rapidly and cause very costly damage, aerial fire suppression services respond quickly as a matter of course. When you need aerial fire suppression services, consider:
1. Choosing an aerial firefighter team armed with airtankers for larger fires.
2. Selecting helicopter aerial firefighting services for more flexible options.
3. Opting for services offering the Bambi Bucket for firefighting with fewer toxic chemicals.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Select airtankers for your needed aerial firefighting services
Airtankers, or water bombers, as they are often known, are fixed-wing aircraft which have tanks that can be filled with fire retardants. The fire retardants can then be sprayed over a fire from the air. Airtankers often have large tanks for housing water or fire retardants--including retardants that act as fertilizers to assist with foliage regrowth.
I recommend: Queen Bee Air Specialties, an aerial firefighting service that battles wildfires across the country, operates AT-802F airtankers.
Neptune Aviation Services has eleven large airtankers on contract. The US government trusts this reputable company to fight range fires.
Choose services with helicopter aerial firefighting capabilities
Helicopters with fitted tanks are sometimes preferred aerial firefighting products because these aircraft are powerful and can often get very close to a fire. Helicopters are also generally more maneuverable that planes and can handle difficult terrain quite well. Today's helicopters have large tanks and some can even be refilled while in flight, so firefighters don't need to land to get more fire retardants.
I recommend: Evergreen offers aerial firefighting support and services with their helicopter fleet. The company has Sikorsky Skycrane as well as light and medium helicopters for emergencies of various sizes.
Rogers Helicopters is one of the larger firefighting helicopter companies in California.
Opt for aerial firefighter services using Bambi Buckets
Bambi Buckets are flexible buckets often used by aerial firefighter helicopters and aerial forest fighting services to douse flames with water rather than chemical-based fire retardants. The use of water from nearby large bodies of water reduces the potential dangers associated with using fire retardants that contain toxins. Today's helicopters can often siphon water using a hanging snorkel, making it possible to refill while in flight.
I recommend: Helicopter Express, a contractor for the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Office of Aircraft Services (OAS), offers a wide variety of fire fighting services, including aerial water delivery and the Bambi Bucket.
San Joaquin Helicopters fights fires from the air across the country using Bambi Buckets.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- One of the primary concerns in the aerial firefighting industry is the state of the land after a fire. Agricultural land is especially vulnerable to the effects of fire and of the chemicals used to stop fires. While water is less toxic than other flame retardants, it can rust or ruin equipment and buildings. It can also be less effective than chemicals used to fight fires. On the other hand, while today's fire retardant chemicals are less toxic, they can pollute water sources and kill fish or animals.
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