Are smoke jumpers a real thing?

Smokejumpers travel all over the country, including Alaska, to provide highly-trained, experienced firefighters and leadership for quick initial attack on wildland fires in remote areas. Most smokejumpers work from late spring through early fall.

How do firefighting helicopters work?

They can be fitted with tanks or buckets to deliver water and fire retardant to the fireline. When the helicopter is in position, the crew releases the water to extinguish hot spots. Helicopters also deliver firefighting crews called helitack crews to fires for initial attack.

Do firefighting use helicopters work?

The aircraft is a four bladed, twin engine helicopter. The popular UH-60 has a civilian ver- sion called a S-70 “Firehawk”. Today CAL FIRE and other fire agencies train with members of the California and Nevada National Guard to use their aircraft as surge capacity during major wildfire events.

Is aerial firefighting effective?

(“Our firefighting experience and a study showed that with the conditions on this fire today that aerially applied retardant or water could not be effective. In 2020 the number and size of wildfires burning in the west far outstripped the number of ground and air firefighting resources that were needed.

Are there any female smokejumpers?

Of those in fire, 18 percent were women. Among firefighters, particularly the high-level hotshot and smokejumping teams, the ratio is much lower. The agency’s 11 hotshot crews employ one to three women on a typical 20-person team, and this year there are three female smokejumpers of 140 nationwide.

When was the first helicopter used for firefighting?

June 1946 – A Bell 47 is flown for DLF on a geophysics survey and is seen by a Fire Protection Supervisor while on the fireline. Instantly recognizing the benefit of seeing the fire from above he drives to the landing zone to find out if he could use it for his fire.

What kind of helicopter does Cal Fire use?

In 2019, the State of California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), LA County and the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department all added the S-70i FIREHAWK aircraft to their firefighting fleets.

What does the Sikorsky FireHawk Helicopter do for firefighting?

The FIREHAWK® Helicopter provides just that – minimizing time spent in transport between water and fuel sources, and maximizing time spent at the fire. This aircraft’s game-changing capabilities push the boundaries of aerial firefighting and help operators ensure they bring people home – everywhere, every time.

When did the USFS helitack start fighting wildfires?

The inception of the USFS Helitack — “helicopter initial attack of wildfires” — crews came during the 1957 fire season and have been integral in wildland fire suppression ever since.