S2T precision drop by T-72, Border #19 fire, June 24, 2022.Check out the video below of a precision retardant drop by Tanker 72, an S2T, a CAL FIRE air tanker based in Southern California. It occurred in very difficult terrain on the Border #19 wildfire near the US/Mexico border June 24, 2022. The video was shot by the FIRIS intelligence-gathering aircraft.
Tanker 910, a DC-10, drops on the Cave Fire Nov. 26, 2019. Photo by Mike Eliason for Santa Barbara County FD.1:30 p.m. PST November 26, 2019
Mike Eliason of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department is one of the best Information Officers when it comes to providing information on social media about the status of wildfires. He is prolific on Twitter and judging from his production since the Cave Fire started at about 4 p.m. Monday, he may not have gotten much sleep in the last 24 hours. These five photos of air tankers were all taken Tuesday are just a sample of his work.
Check him out and follow him on Twitter:@EliasonMike
As of 11 a.m. PST on Tuesday the Cave Fire had burned 4,262 acres just northwest of Santa Barbara in Southern California. Additional information is at Wildfire Today including more of Mr. Eliason’s photography. Tuesday morning 10 air tankers and 9 helicopters were available for the fire.
An air tanker, either an RJ85 or BAe-146, drops on the Cave Fire Nov. 26,
Tanker 12, a BAe-146, drops on the Cave Fire Nov. 26, 2019. Photo by Mike Eliason for Santa Barbara County FD.
Tanker 72, an S2-T, drops on the Cave Fire Nov. 26, 2019. Photo by Mike Eliason for Santa Barbara County FD.
An S2-T air tanker drops on the Cave Fire Nov. 26, 2019. Photo by Mike Eliason for Santa Barbara County FD.
Above: CAL FIRE Tanker 72, an S-2T, at Fox Field September 2, 2017. Photo by BT Nutter.
(Originally published at 6:18 a.m. MDT September 16, 2017)
BT Nutter took these photos of Tanker 72 at Fox Field near Lancaster, California earlier this month.
Thanks BT!
CAL FIRE Tanker 72, an S-2T, at Fox Field September 2, 2017. Photo by BT Nutter.
CAL FIRE Tanker 72, an S-2T, at Fox Field September 2, 2017. Photo by BT Nutter.
Tanker 70 an S-2, at Hemet. Photo by Steve Whitby.Steve Whitby was kind enough to send us another batch of photos that he took of air tankers. (These first five photos are his; the other five were taken by Bill Gabbert.) This time Steve’s are from 1979 and 1980 at Hemet in southern California. Earlier we posted some photos he took last summer at the Mountain Fire in southern California. Thanks again Steve!
Speaking of C-119s, the five photos below were taken by Bill Gabbert between 1970 and 1972. The gentleman in the first photo is Ron Campbell, Superintendent of the El Cariso Hot Shots.
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Air tanker 07, a P2V, July 15 on the Mountain Fire in southern California. USFS photo by Steve Whitby.These photos were graciously sent to us by Steve Whitby who took them on the Mountain Fire in July. The fire burned over 20,000 acres in and near the San Bernardino National Forest in southern California. Thanks Steve — great pictures!
