Russian water bomber IL-76

[rondog]

OK, I just thought they would be a good idea. But I certainly have no experience fighting fires. If those that do say the big planes wouldn't work that well, I can't argue with their experience!

[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!

[MED]

a tornado wipes out a trailer park. most taxpayers dont absorb the cost. maybe insurance premiums. but when the fire comes it cost a fortune to fight. they dont fight the tornadoes, your insurance companies just take care of it. its not the same. i know you guys who live up there will get a butt hurt about it, but o well.
i lived in Coal creek canyon and Golden gate canyon for years, my family still does. if we lived there I would understand if we needed to purchase additional coverage to help fight the fires, that are inevitable.

Really, so all the public infrastructure is magically saved?

[HBARleatherneck]

delete

[speedysst]

I'm sure hundreds of firefighters on the ground with trucks and other equipment aren't cheap either. One pass from a big water bomber could do what it would take a ground team days to do, without risking firefighters lives. Remember the lives lost on Storm King Mountain?

True but in situations like last year where there were very few large fires, the planes still cost money to maintain and park/store. I wonder what the parking fee for a IL-76 is?

[DFBrews]

OK, I just thought they would be a good idea. But I certainly have no experience fighting fires. If those that do say the big planes wouldn't work that well, I can't argue with their experience!

I worked on a wildland crew for 3 summers Ron and the guys on the ground are almost more important than the air support. we are the ones going thru knicking trees down so that the fire drops from the crown to the undergrowth and digging the fire line so it stops there. that is how a fire becomes contained. the water just slows it down. to give us a chance to cut line

[Hoser]

I worked on a wildland crew for 3 summers Ron and the guys on the ground are almost more important than the air support. we are the ones going thru knicking trees down so that the fire drops from the crown to the undergrowth and digging the fire line so it stops there. that is how a fire becomes contained. the water just slows it down. to give us a chance to cut line

The guys on the ground are the most important part. Aircraft, for the most part, do not drop directly on the flames. We drop retardant in the path of the flames to give the ground crews a break to cut a line.

[DFBrews]

The guys on the ground are the most important part. Aircraft, for the most part, do not drop directly on the flames. We drop retardant in the path of the flames to give the ground crews a break to cut a line.

We where on the million fire in south fork and actually had to have a slurry drop on us because of a wind change that shit hurts and is sticky!

[XDMan]

Hoser,

Do you know why they haven't called you guys out with your C130s?

Leo

[Hoser]

Hoser,

Do you know why they haven't called you guys out with your C130s?

Not a clue.