This article was first published at Fire Aviation.
More than 21,000 personnel are battling 66 large wildfires in the early portion of an extremely busy fire season and the US Forest Service (FS) has activated all of the privately owned large air tankers (LATs) that they possibly can. There are no more available in the country.
The FS is the federal agency responsible for contracting for the large fire-slowing aircraft that can carry 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of retardant, or in the case of the DC-10’s, up to 9,400. The FS does not operate any government-owned air tankers; they are all privately owned, working under contracts administered by the FS.
As this is written on July 28, there are 18 LATs active on Exclusive Use (EU) contracts and 5 on Call When Needed (CWN) contracts, for a total of 23. In addition, the FS has borrowed the only LAT that Australia has, a 737, which flew across the Pacific a few days ago.
Five military C-130 Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems (MAFFS) have been called into action that can carry up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant. Theoretically there should be eight available at all times during the fire season, but we were unable to find out from the FS if it would be possible to activate the additional three.
Some of us who follow the industry and aerial firefighting may or may not be surprised that the FS could only muster 23 LATs on EU or CWN contracts, because for years the agency has told the public and Congressional Committees that they have “up to 35 (or 34)” air tankers.
On May 17, 2021 Fire Aviation was told by a spokesperson for the FS that this year they would have 34 LATs if needed — 18 on Exclusive Use Contracts guaranteed to work, 8 “surge” LATs guaranteed to work for a shorter period of time, and another 8 on Call When Needed (CWN) contracts. Of those 16 surge and CWN aircraft, only 5 could be produced.
In a Senate Committee hearing on June 9, 2020 John Phipps, US Forest Service Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry said, “We have up to 35 large air tankers (LATs)… and we are well under way for our planning and preparedness for the upcoming western fire season.”
On December 5, 2019 the FS said they had signed Call When Needed (CWN) agreements for air tanker services with six companies for a total of 35 aircraft. The number “35” was misleading because most if not all of the 13 large air tankers on exclusive use (EU) contracts at the time also had CWN contracts; some were being double-counted. That brought the CWN number down to around 22.
It turns out that leaning on that “up to” 34 or 35 number year after year has been a very weak crutch. “Up to 35” can mean any number between zero and 35. It should not be that difficult to count these huge aircraft, especially considering how much they cost to operate.
Some of the Western states have either realized that they can’t count on the federal government to supply them with air tankers when the need arises, or they have recently adopted a more aggressive approach to attacking new fires. Three states this year have leased a total of five LATs that are inspected and carded by the FS, capable of working on EU or CWN contracts for the FS if they had been offered the opportunity. California has augmented their fleet of 23 S-2T’s with two BAe-146’s and one MD-87, Colorado has hired one BAe-146, and Oregon is leasing an MD-87. In addition, the state of Washington has picked up on contract one LAT that had been working on an Alaska contract, a Q-400 operated by Conair. As far as I know the Canadian-converted Q-400 has not been blessed by the Interagency Air Tanker Board in the US, but the state organizations are not bound by that organization. There are also a handful of 1,600-gallon scoopers (CL-415 type) working for states, and too many 700-gallon single engine air tankers to count.
“Three [aircraft that have Forest Service CWN contracts] are operating in Canada,” said Stanton Florea, a Fire Communications Specialist for the FS. “Seven are not operational. They were either not built as airtankers, the companies cannot staff them, or the companies are not making them available to be on contract.”
There is a possibility, Mr. Florea said, that Canada could loan the US some air tankers or scoopers if they were available, through an agreement between the US National Interagency Fire Center and the Canadian Forest Fire Centre. However, the provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario have their hands full with their own fires — they are flying in firefighters from Australia to provide assistance.
CWN aircraft may or may not be immediately available during the fire season, with mechanics and crew members available to suddenly drop what they were doing and start flying fires. In 2017 the average daily rate for large federal CWN air tankers was 54 percent higher than aircraft on exclusive use contracts. But CWN costs are charged to the virtually unlimited fire suppression accounts, so the Forest Service does not care about using taxpayer’s dollars in that manner. And they are not held accountable.
While these numbers may have changed since 2018, it is unlikely that the differential between EU and CWN has changed much.
Over the last 10 years the average number of LATs on EU Forest Service contracts was 14.0 for the United States. The average number on EU contracts from 2000 through 2009 was 28.3. This year there are 18, which is 5 more than last year.
The FS goes as far as they can with the limited, insufficient funds appropriated by Congress and approved by the President. If the planes don’t exist when needed, new and emerging wildfires can more easily escape initial attack and grow into huge blazes, or megafires that can consume more than a million dollars of taxpayer funds each day. In the 14 days the Dixie Fire has been burning homes and hundreds of thousands of acres in Northern California, it has also been eating an average of $4.5 million in suppression funds every day. If some of that was instead spent on prescribed burning and additional EU air tankers, it might save money in the long run.
One of the lessons learned this year and others like it, is, Congress must appropriate adequate funds for the five land management agencies to pay firefighters a living wage, conduct more prescribed fires, and have at least 40 large air tankers and 50 large Type 1 helicopters on exclusive use 10-year contracts instead of 1-year contracts.
The peak of the Western US wildfire season is usually in August, but in 2020 the day with the highest number of fire personnel mobilized was September 19 when the record was set with 32,727 assigned to wildfires.
The outlook for August, September, and October predicts weather that will be hotter and drier than average for the Western US, which, if accurate, will lead to an above average fire season in the Western US. The live fuel moistures and Energy Release Components in many areas are already near or above the all time extremes.
I am hopeful that Chief Moore will bring this issues of the FS’s budget woes to bare and offer a wholistic approach to managing the increased fire threat to communities. It will take a huge increase in funding and personnel to overcome the 20 plus years of budget cuts and force reductions to bring the FS back up to a land management agency that can rise up to the challenge of the fuels management instead of the current rinse and repeat fire issues we have seen year after year.
Perhaps it’s time for the planning, funding, training, and operations of the fighting elements of all of the FLMAs to fall under an umbrella agency to manage the various aspects of fire service within these disparate agencies. Sort of like a Unified Command…more like a Unified Management. Of course, the devil would be in the details. Perhaps, if it were to be implemented, it could have its own air fleet. Bill says there are five Federal Land Mgm’t Agencies. FMLA lists only 4: USFS, BLM, USF&WS, and the NPS. I can think of the BIA, it’s in the Dep’t of the Interior, as is the NPS. Another Agency that could be included is DOD, as they own large amounts of land.
Good article! Maybe the next one could cover why Cal Fires newly acquired fleet of C-130’s are still on the ground without an approved retardant deployment system? With MAFFS & RADS out there, it’s not like they have to start from scratch.
Agree with Old DRHS. Also with the current av fuel shortage and nonexistent logistics support starting at the refinery have more air tankers available is really a moot point. USFS could have 500 LATs etc.. available right now but without fuel it dont really help. Perhaps instead of everyone being pissed off about the planes someone should be working up a solution on the fuel shortage
This is a sad case study in a lack of leadership and an understanding of basic business sustainability at the USFS and a huge disconnect between supply and demand….22 LATs….22!!! The USFS, once again, has been negligent in their duties to tax paying citizens (Chief Randy Moore – you can turn the tide here). Yes, they have been underfunded, but when was the last time your heard a USFS Chief bang the table with the Appropriations Committee and demand more funding!!! The tepid response has always been to say, “thank you, we’ll make do…”. No courage and outrage in the leadership at the FS is allowing this crime against the public to continue. The “political risk” of being too outspoken sitting in the Chief’s seat has kept them from taking the risk of telling Congress what they really need and want to combat the scourge of wildfires in this country.
The number of tankers will drop further in the future as well when foreign countries (Europe) start grabbing our LATs (because they are providing long term contracts at better rates than the FS) at the same time LAT operators will be standing down more LATs due to the economic instability of the switch from EU to CWN contracts over the last 10 years and the fact that the Contracting Office in Boise focuses on the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) instead of the quality of the service provided by the operator. What the leadership at the FS and the Contracting Office somehow don’t understand is that LAT operators (all operators really) need to fund their operations year round to be able to provide a safe and effective aircraft (maintaining the a/c year round so the wings don’t fall off in season) with professional flight and ground crews who can put the red stuff where it needs to go at the right time. This is a problem that adults can fix. This is not rocket science. This is dark comedy at its worst.
While I’m on my soap box, we should be preparing for the same thing to happen in the Type 1 helo space in the VERY near future. The latest Solicitation from the FS for Type 1s reads like a Seinfeld monologue: cynical, biting and pointing out the ridiculous in every day life in a comical way. A 10 year MOTOC, demanding all the bells and whistles on the a/c and additionally technology, BUT….we’re going to decide who wins/gets the first/top slots based on PRICE alone!!! I want you Mr. Helicopter Operator to provide me all the performance specs of a Porsche 911 so I can win the race, but I’m going to select the provider who gives me a price equal to delivering a poorly maintained 1972 VW Bug….the math just won’t work. There will be less Type 1s in 2 years due to this and even less 5 years out. Very likely tragic accidents will occur as operators will have to skimp on maintenance and training and won’t be able to keep proficient pilots, mechanics and ground crews. This MOTOC structure is supposedly non-protestable and that fact is the tail wagging the dog. To avoid this misery refer to my first paragraph…grow a set of balls USFS and go demand that Congress give you what you need.
USFS – listen up – DEMAND the funding that you need. Sleepy Joe’s checkbook is wide open. Demand $4-6B every year for the next 10 years and start managing the land AND putting up a better fight against wildfires every year. Bill’s numbers are probably spot on correct – he’s been studying this topic for a long time. Its not Congress’s job to build the right budget for the USFS. They will appropriate the necessary funds, but the FS needs to demand it and support the numbers. Congress will appropriate adequate funds for the five land management agencies to pay firefighters a living wage, conduct more prescribed fires, and have at least 40 large air tankers and 50 large Type 1 helicopters on exclusive use contracts, but the new Chief has to be ready to go make the case for it. He has a unique opportunity to become an American hero and go down in the history books as one of the most effective leaders in that position in the last three decades. Let’s go Randy…you can be that guy. The wildfire fighting community, ground pounders, dozer operators and the aerial firefighting operators need a hero….the door is open and we’re all looking at you Chief Moore. Don’t let the Contracting Office dictate the outcome…bean counters have never won wars…wars are won on the front line….leaders like Patton, MacArthur and others demanded what they needed and got it….
At, last an authentic reasonable comment.
I was never an expert on aircraft, in my 38 years as a Fed FF I never spent time on Helitak or held any other paid aviation position, other than the title of Aviation Manager as an area FMO, However I did figure out who to call.
So with that said I feel that I am qualified to make this bold statement, it matters not how many tankers you have on call, if there are insufficient boots on the ground to take advantage of the retardant then good tax payer money is being used to fertilize the woods.
I have never seen retardant alone put out fires, and during times of extreme, fire just burn right thru.
The optics are great from a public perspective, they see the red stuff and think the fire is being taken care of.
I spent many years on shot crews, and one thing that would irk me to no end is to see retardant being wasted on useless drops, oh and my favorite pre treating indirect lines, dried out retardant is useless, practically useless.
Tankers are a tool and sometimes they are not used as efficiently as they could be……can not get by without them…….just saying…..Peace….
Finally! The voice of reason. Very well said and I couldn’t agree more!
Most of us “experienced” folks know this, it’s a shame that the “less experienced” folks don’t. No training on how to appropriately use aircraft on fires. It’s more risk (transfer), costly, ineffective and just plain ignorant to use aircraft on fires without support from the ground. Training needs to happen, but unfortunately, the less experienced in positions to use aircraft on fires have learned bad habits. Generally speaking, shut the ac down when you have the rate of spread stopped. Keep a helicopter or two on the ground close by in case you need it, or make it available for new starts. You’re not the only one who needs it.
Perfect reply, I was going to say the same thing!
I’ll say this to Chief Moore, the Forest Service is failing. The last 3 or 4 chiefs played a game, that we are funded and can protect America from wildfire. Well we can’t the USFS has no money to do anything but exist.
We need leaders to get us the funding we need. I hope it’s coming.
Wonder if the Forest Service will spin the story so that the state LATS on EU contracts count towards their total next time the testify to Congress.
What a surprise, only five? Where are the P3′, 922AU and 923AU? They were in the mix last year. so was the 747.
We know the 747 got “booted out” of the fire service. Never in the history of aerial fire fighting an aircraft (744ST) after three successful fire seasons has been eliminated from fire duty. Maybe it carried too much retardant in one load 19,600 gallons? In less than a two months fall/ winter will start to slow down the fires and no one will even think twice about a shortage of fixed wing airtankers on August 2021.
USFS INCOMPETENCE EXEMPLIFIED ! [ and maybe a few lies thrown in ?]
Both the governors of Oregon and Washington had the opportunity to sign a contract for the 747 that was stationed in Spokane, Washington, for fire retardant operations BUT choose not to (the 747 has a 22,000 Gal. Capacity) even knowing that we were going to have a very dry summer, perfect for our forrest to burn. Well, those in Southern Oregon and Northern California should be seeking or asking why?!!