Russian water bomber IL-76

[MED]

"but, but, I moved to the mountains and built a cedar sided home with shake shingles. And I like the trees right up against my house. Thats why I built in a forest."

Its funny how people allways rag hood rats for soaking tax payers for extra services. But, what do you think people who live in these communities do to us tax payers every year? Maybe if you live in a forested area, you should be obligated to purchase additional fire fighting insurance. kind of like flood insurance. So, us taxpayers dont get screwed every year, because you built a combustible house in the forest.

Kind of like all the people who built in Tornado areas or earthquake areas, or any other place where a natural disaster can destroy a lot of homes.

These guys are just bastards for living in the path of a Tornado...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Joplin_tornado

[HBARleatherneck]

delete

[MED]

Seriously? The Lodge Pole Pine is a 100 year tree, most old growth out here is 120-140 years... Well past due in the natural order of things. There would be the blight of Beetle Kill if we (humans) let nature take it's course. Fire is the way the forests rejuvenate. I don't like it, especially with loss of property and loss of life, but if you have a "defendable space" it is far better than relying on Gov't to help/protect you.

There are inherent risks and rewards to living in the mountains and by the oceans... People should do their part to mitigate the risks.

Logging is an effective forest management solution...too back the fucking environmentalists destroyed that industry in Colorado...not to mention that roadless shit that made it hard as hell to mitigate the overgrowth problem.

[rondog]

I'm not saying to eliminate the helos and smaller bombers, but I'm not believing that a large bomber like these wouldn't be useful as a supplemental tool. Hell, even a fleet of C-130's would be good, just don't use ancient, worn-out ones from the 50's like that one that the wings snapped off of.

Wikipedia says the IL-76 can carry 13,000 gallons of water or retardant.

And I understand about how fires are "nature's way" of rejuvination. If that's the case, then why fight the fires at all? Because people build homes and live in those forests, that's why. I just think that we need a better water bomber fleet, and there's better options out there than just helos, crop dusters, small planes, and WWII/50's-era bombers & cargo planes. Modernize the damn fleets with more effective tools!

[Hoser]

Hell, even a fleet of C-130's would be good, just don't use ancient, worn-out ones from the 50's like that one that the wings snapped off of.

They have eight C-130s at their disposal. A DC-10 and a 747. From late April through Thanksgiving I have a suitcase under my desk waiting for the word to go.

The heavier tankers (DC-10, MARS & 747) do not fare well in the mountains at low altitudes. They are going too fast and too high above the fuels/trees. They are very effective in rolling hills. We worked the Austin Texas fires with the DC-10 last summer. Pretty cool.

The old tankers like the PB-4Y and C-130A belly droppers have not been used since late 2002. The pilot of Tanker 130 was a buddy of mine. We worked the same fire a couple weeks earlier in Utah.

Aircraft maint issues grounded the whole P-3 tanker fleet and put Aero Union out of business.

The Russian tankers are cool, but a nightmare to maintain. We offered up our C-130 fleet to them a few years ago when they had that huge fire.

[rondog]

Maybe if you live in a forested area, you should be obligated to purchase additional fire fighting insurance. kind of like flood insurance. So, us taxpayers dont get screwed every year, because you built a combustible house in the forest.

What about people that live in coastal areas that are susceptible to hurricanes, tidal surges, tsunamis, etc.? Ever think about what could happen if a huge hurricane hit the Chesapeake Bay dead-on? There's an island on the other side of the Atlantic that's splitting down the middle, and scientists fear half of it will slide into the ocean and send a tsunami across the Atlantic that would hit the eastern US coast, causing a disaster of biblical proportions.

Maybe people shouldn't live on the coasts or near the oceans, and expect help when disasters strike? Or people who live in grasslands areas shouldn't expect help when big prairie fires are coming?

[HBARleatherneck]

delete

[Delfuego]

Hoser is right. It has a minimal impact on fire suppression, at a very high cost. I knew some of the pilots that flew fire suppression out of Jeffco airport and we lost a plane (and the crew) that flew out of there too. The best method we have is men on the ground with shovels and torches. Tanker planes are great for the cameras but the hard work is still done by hand.

Big cheers to our firefighters. It is a very hard, mostly thankless job that does not pay much...

[sellersm]

Hoser is right...
Big cheers to our firefighters. It is a very hard, mostly thankless job that does not pay much...

+1 bazillion! Thanks to Hoser and all the others!

[speedysst]

That is a wonderfully large plane that most likely comes with wonderfully large costs to operate.