Above: Air tanker 866 drops on the Red Canyon Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
The lightning-caused Red Canyon Fire was reported at 12:45 p.m. MDT on Saturday 9 miles southwest of Pringle, South Dakota but an aggressive attack on the ground and from the air stopped it at 13 acres.
In addition to engines, and water tenders, and four hand crews, at least 10 aircraft joined the battle. We were there for a couple of hours and observed one large air tanker, at least five single engine air tankers, one Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter, a lead plane, an air attack ship, and an Astar B3 helicopter.
In the gallery below, click on an image to see a larger version, then click the arrow buttons.
Tanker 07, a P2V, drops on the Red Canyon Fire, July 9, 2016. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
A lead plane produces smoke to mark the desired location of an air tanker drop on the Red Canyon Fire
Air Tanker 850 drops on the Red Canyon Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Helitanker 718 on the Red Canyon Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Helitanker 718 on the Red Canyon Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Air tanker 455 drops on the Red Canyon Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Air tanker 866 (N8510M) drops on the Red Canyon Fire in South Dakota July 9, 2016. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
The Astar B3 helicopter based at Custer, SD refills its bucket at a heliwell on the Red Canyon Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Jim Fournier of New Frontier Aviation flies a Dromader single engine air tanker (SEAT) for the state of South Dakota. On September 1, 2015 we caught up with him at the SEAT base in Hot Springs a couple of hours after he dropped a load of retardant on the Bitter Creek Fire which enabled the firefighters on the ground to tie in the last piece of open fireline, stopping it at 87 acres. Tanker 455 put one 550-gallon load on the fire, split into two drops.
Bitter Creek Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert. Tanker 455 orbits, sizing up the Bitter Creek fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert. Tanker 455 descending on final to make a drop on the Bitter Creek Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.. Tanker 455 completing a drop on the Bitter Creek Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert. Tanker 455, a Dromader. Photo by Bill Gabbert. Jim Fournier with Tanker 455, a Dromader. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Originally published at 2:38 p.m. MT, September 1, 2015 A fire started Monday afternoon south of Hot Springs, South Dakota off Highway 71 southeast of the intersection of Maitland and Ash Creek Roads. As of 2:30 p.m. MT firefighters have a handle on approximately one half of the perimeter.
(UPDATED at 3 p.m. MT, September 1, 2015)
The photo below, from a different angle, was shot at about 3 PM. We will update this later with more photos and information.
(UPDATED at 7:25 p.m. MT, September 1, 2015)
The firefighters from Cascade, Hot Springs, and South Dakota State stopped the spread at about 87 acres and named it the Bitter Creek Fire. A load of retardant from a Dromader Single Engine Air Tanker based in Hot Springs enabled the firefighters on the ground to tie in the last piece of open fireline. Tanker 455 put one 550-gallon load on the fire, split into two drops.
The initial text in this article and the first two photos were published from my iPhone at the fire scene. After returning from the fire, the photos below (from two real cameras) were uploaded.
A couple of hours after he dropped retardant on the fire, we caught up with the pilot, Jim Fournier, and interviewed him on video — you can see it at Fire Aviation.
All photos are by Bill Gabbert.
Overview of the Bitter Creek Fire. The right flank of the Bitter Creek Fire. Tanker 455 orbits, sizing up the fire. Tanker 455 descending to make a drop. Tanker 455 completing a drop. A rural South Dakota version of a Type 1 Water Tender.
