Bird dog crash kills one at Thunder Bay, Ontario

6:05 p.m. EDT August 17, 2021

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry released a statement Tuesday about the crash of the bird dog aircraft at the Thunder Bay airport in Ontario, Canada Monday evening. Below is an excerpt:

“Our Ministry and the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) family is deeply saddened by the loss of a pilot from MAG Aerospace Canada (one of NDMNRF’s long term contract aircraft providers) during a critical incident at the Thunder Bay airport on August 16, 2021.

“The pilot was the sole occupant of a bird dog aircraft – the plane that flies together with the CL-415 waterbombers -and was on route to Dryden for routine maintenance after completing the day of flying for NDMNRF.

“Out of respect and privacy for our staff, our partners at MAG Aerospace Canada and the individual’s family, we are not providing any specific details publicly about the incident at this time. We offer our condolences to all those who have been devastated by this sudden loss of family, friend and loved one.”

10:43 a.m. EDT August 17, 2021

crash Thunder Bay, Ontario airport
Thunder Bay, Ontario airport at 9:10 p.m. Aug. 16, 2021. Still image from video by Winglet520 video.

The crash of a bird dog plane Monday at the Thunder Bay airport in Ontario, Canada killed the pilot, the only person on board.

In Canada a bird dog airplane has responsibility for the direction of air traffic over and in the immediate vicinity of a wildland fire. In addition to the pilot, they often have an Air Attack Officer in the right, or first officer seat.

The aircraft was a Rockwell Aero Commander 690B, C-GYLD, registered to Mag Aerospace Canada Corp. The company specializes in aerial fire services, aerial imagery, and ISR.

A video recorded just after the crash by Winglet520 showed what appeared to be flames spread along a runway. The description said:

Aero Commander taking off runway 07 at CYQT crashed second after getting airborne. Unknown how many on board and if they got out. Video is recorded by me from Mount Mckay scenic lookout about 5km from the accident.

Our sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and co-workers of the pilot.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Tim and Eric.

Two U.S. air tankers mobilized to assist Canada

A BAe-146 air tanker dropping on a recent wildfire in Canada.
A BAe-146 air tanker dropping on the Kenora #18 Fire in Canada. Photo by Chris Sherwin.

The National Interagency Fire Center has mobilized two BAe-146 air tankers and one King Air lead plane to assist the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba. Tankers 10 and 41 will be working out of the air tanker base at Bemidji, Minnesota 86 miles south of the US/Canadian border.

The aircraft were ordered primarily for the Kenora #18 Fire that straddles the border between Manitoba and Ontario (the brown dots in the map below). But they could be used for fires in either province.

According to the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center, Canada has not requested U.S. assistance specifically for wildfires in Alberta. The aid, they said, was requested through a bilateral firefighting assistance agreement with the Canadian Interagency Fire Center (CIFC). At this time, Canada has not requested additional resources or assistance from the U.S., though NIFC and the CIFC are frequently communicating.

Map Ontario Manitoba US

Bombardier closes CL-415 air tanker plant in Ontario, Canada

Alberta air tanker 202
Alberta air tanker 202. Photo by Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.

Bombardier has shut down their plant in North Bay, Ontario where they have been finishing the work of building CL-415 air tankers after the aircraft have been assembled in Montreal. The CL-415 and its predecessor, the CL-215, are among the very few purpose-built air tankers, designed from the wheels up to very specifically drop water on fires. Most air tankers used today have been converted after being discarded by the military and passenger airlines.

Below is an excerpt from an article in the Bay Today:

…Isabelle Gauthier, the Director of Communications for Bombardier Commercial Aircraft confirmed to BayToday that, “We will not be renewing our lease going forward” at North Bay’s Jack Garland Airport.
The lease ends in April 2016, but Bombardier was required to give at least 90 days notice Gauthier said.

“There are currently no aircraft in production,” explained Gauthier,”It didn’t make any business sense to continue.”

North Bay’s facility was for finishing the aircraft after assembly in Montreal, and three had been completed this year but no more were on the horizon.

“We need sales,” said Gauthier. “We need commitment to continue production.”

She said if sales are made, they may attempt to reopen the North Bay facility but “it’s not like turning on a light switch”.

“Activities are continuing for more sales”, she said, and Bombardier is “keeping the door open” to further involvement in North Bay if there are significant sales of the aircraft in future.

The video below was shot at Santa Fe Dam in January, 2014 where two CL-415s under contract with Los Angeles County were scooping water while working the Colby Fire at Glendora, California, east of Los Angeles.

Firefighting aircraft at Dryden, Ontario

Air Tankers at Dryden
Air Tankers at Dryden (Ontario) Regional Airport last week before they were dispersed to deal with the rising number of wildfires. Photo by Chris Sherwin. Click to enlarge.

Mike sent us this photo taken by Chris Sherwin of firefighting aircraft based at Dryden Regional Airport in Ontario, Canada. He said, “There are 7 CL-415, 1 DHC-6, 2 DHC-2T and 1 EC-130 and owned by the Province of Ontario”.

The fitness test for Canadian firefighters

WFX-FIT test ramp
The ramp used in the WFX-FIT test

The two articles about the fitness test for wildland firefighters in the United States published yesterday on Wildfire Today have generated significant interest so far, judging from the number of comments left by our readers in the last 24 hours. The fitness test we are referring to is the Pack Test version of the Work Capacity Test which requires carrying 45 pounds (20.4 kg) for three miles on flat ground (4.83 km) in less than 45 minutes. Federal land management agencies in the U.S. and some fire departments require that firefighters pass the test each year in order to work on the fireline.

It was a coincidence that the two articles appeared on the same day. Rae Brook’s piece about a possible new and tougher version of a fitness test for hotshot crews had been in the pipeline for weeks and was just completed yesterday, about the same time that we received word of the unfortunate fatality of someone who was attempting to take the test two days earlier.

We learn a lot from comments left by our readers. “BC Initial Attack” informed us about the fitness test required of Type 1 Firefighters in Canada. The WFX-FIT, which first saw widespread use in 2012, is described as “a valid job-related physical performance standard used to determine whether an individual possesses the physical capabilities necessary to meet the rigorous demands encountered while fighting wildland fires.”

The components of the  WFX-FIT, after pre-participation screening are:

WFX-FIT circuits

The pump, or simulated pump, weighs 62.7 pounds (28.5 kg). The simulated hose that is dragged is represented by a 40.7 pound (18.5 kg) weighted sled. The hose pack weighs 55 pounds (25 kg).

WFX-FIT hose drag

Firefighters must be able to complete the test within 14 minutes and 30 seconds to be eligible for the National Exchange. The  Ontario Provincial Standard is 17 minutes and 15 seconds, the Alberta Provincial Standard is 14 minutes and 20 seconds, and the British Columbia standard is 14 minutes and 30 seconds. A score between 14 minutes and 31 seconds and 17 minutes and 15 seconds will meet the Ontario Provincial Standard but will not permit deployment outside of Ontario.

The photos are from the WFX-FIT website and the above video.

Ontario government sues railroad company for starting four fires

Timmins 9 Fire, May 2012
The Timmins 9 Fire burned about 20,000 hectares (98,000 acres) in May, 2012.

From CBCnews:

The province [of Ontario] is seeking compensation from Canadian National Railway over four forest fires in 2012, including $38 million for a massive fire near Timmins.

The province is alleging the fires were started by passing trains. The other three court actions involve another fires near Timmins, Chapleau and Thunder Bay. The damages sought in those cases are between $1 million and $2 million each.

The $38 million court action involves a fire called Timmins 9 in May of 2012.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry alleges the fire was started by the passage of a train through the area. The fire burned 40,000 hectares (98,000 acres) of bush and destroyed several camps.

The fire was the largest one in the province in half a century, and came within about 20 kilometers of the City of Timmins…

Documents filed in the case regarding the Timmins 9 Fire include the following:

14  The Ministry investigators also determined that the point of origin of the fire was within the railway right-of-way and approximately 2 1/2 metres from the western most rail at mileage 96.48.

16. At the point of origin, the investigators found a metal fragment whose particular characteristics indicated it had been heated and had been exposed to the elements for a short time.

17. Metal fragments are a competent source of ignition and may be released due to inter alia treading or wear or buildup from railway operations. This particular metal fragment, recently deposited, was a result of the railway operations of the defendant CNR.

The documents also accuse the railroad of failing to:

  • properly maintain, repair, and inspect the tracks and right-of-way;
  • properly maintain, repair, and inspect its railway cars, engines, and equipment including brake assembly and exhaust systems;
  • manage vegetation through controlled burns or other means;
  • provide a sufficient number of stations on its routes and personnel on the trains to detect and suppress fires;
  • control or extinguish the fire and failed to limit its spread beyond its property.