While the Roosa Gap Fire was burning in southern New York state, fire officials ordered an air tanker from Canada, an Air Tractor 802F Fire Boss single engine aircraft capable of scooping water from a lake.
Air tankers are rarely used in New York. In fact, one of the news reports we saw about the fire said this was the first time one had been used in the state, which is not true, of course. One of the stories that wildland firefighters still like to tell was a political battle about air tankers during the 1995 Sunrise Fire that eventually burned about 7,000 acres in the state on Long Island.
Six small air tankers were being used effectively on the fire, but a U.S. Senator from New York, Alfonse M. D’Amato, insisted that military C-130 Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) aircraft were needed.
This incident may have been the origin of the term, “CNN drop”.
Here’s what we wrote about the incident in 2012:
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…The fire is infamous among wildland firefighters for the battle between a U.S. Senator from New York, Alfonse M. D’Amato, and the Type 1 Incident Management Team running the fire. D’Amato called President Bill Clinton, who was vacationing in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, and told him that he wanted military C-130 Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) air tankers to help put out the fire. (As a side note, that First Family vacation was in itself an Incident for the local parks and national forests, and the impacts of it were managed by a National Park Service Incident Management Team, with this author as Planning Section Chief).
After talking to the president, D’Amato held a news conference, telling reporters that the C-130s were on the way. But the IMTeam had not ordered any large air tankers, and the fires were nearing containment using only some smaller air tankers and 12 helicopters.
D’Amato went to Long Island, and wearing a Fire Chief’s turnout coat, met with several high-ranking FEMA officials, Department of Agriculture executives, and the IMTeam. He was told the C-130s were not needed on the fire. The Senator vehemently insisted, and ultimately a request was placed for two C-130 air tankers from an Air National Guard base in North Carolina, along with a third plane carrying support personnel.
When the aircraft arrived, the fire was contained, but an area was found that had a little grass still burning near a highway, with plenty of room for TV trucks. A C-130 was directed to drop there, but before it could release its load a warning light came on in the cockpit and it had to return to the airport. The second C-130 was ordered to make the drop on the still-smoldering grass, and it did, to the delight of the media and Senator D’Amato.
This incident may be one of the first times the term “CNN Drop” was used to describe an air tanker drop whose primary objective was to placate local residents, politicians, and the media.
7 Comments
Which company supplied the at802…..
Actually the SEATS used were mainly Ag-Cats… as I understand.
It was quite the Charlie Foxtrot….
Hey TG…I was not there
CF? Were these folks actually set up as SEATs or were they aerial applicators doing State pickup work? I would imagine the AgCats may or may not be “Natl SEAT Standard or Trained.”
Communities in Eastern US may or may not be set up for the “Natl SEAT Standard” 54 page conformal contract set up DOI for Exclusive Use.
Where I am from, the folks that are aerial applicators with aerial application in mind, and aerial fire as a secondary mission to fire cooperators. They do not have all the fancy TDFM 136 radio comm…about $27 K USD to install, the “Fed standard” gating systems, the “high viz” paint jobs (other than high viz yellow), and all those SEAT requirements and probably have not attended the that thar SEAT pilot school in the SW US.
But for aerial applicators….they are every bit as professional as SEAT drivers and are every bit as seasonal as SEAT operators and I know of a few SEAT drivers that still fly outside of the SEAT world.
Could the CF be from the ground and the proverbial communcations problems where the forestry world did not have a handheld radio with a frequency already plugged in and programmed in for the pilots to contact ground types?
We need to know the facts before it truly is the CF
Oh the the MAFFS deal…..USAF should not be to blame for the CNN news drops….the LMA world created that little gem by putting MAFFS units in USAF aircraft…hell the pilots were only doing a job the politicos and LMA world created by putting aircrews in positions where properly applied forestry and fuels reductions projects ought to have been done……………….
Leo as I know from the people who were there, it was local ag operators.What was bizarre was the efforts by D’Amonto to get C-130’s. First, the order was for 3000 gal. Airtankers- then C-130’s like the A models of TBM/Butler, H&P, et al.
Then the MAAFFS people. I read the transcript of this whole thing. It was amazing when politics get in the road of fighting fire.Also both parties were not innocent ….
The nearest Canadian Air Tractor 802F Fire Boss’ to New York State are aircraft contracted by the Province of Alberta (Conair) and New Brunswick (Forest Protection).
That’s what I was wondering if it was conair supplied or forest protection.
Thanks tg
For the response
I can only imagine the dog and pony shows that originated then and probably will continue into the future….
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