Videos of firefighting aircraft in action

air tanker 137 737 wildfire
This is not a video, but it is a screengrab from the video below of Air Tanker 137, a 737, dropping on the Bruxner Highway Fire (Tenterfield LGA) in New South Wales, Australia. Usually it is not obvious when an air tanker drops simultaneously from more than one tank, but on the 737 the tanks are not adjacent to each other, making it possible to see the separation when the drop begins.

The video below shows Air Tanker 137, a Boeing 737, dropping on the Bruxner Highway Fire (Tenterfield LGA) in New South Wales, Australia.

A Blackhawk and an Air-Crane can be seen in the video below working on a wildfire in New South Wales, Australia.

Next, a Blackhawk in New South Wales.

Below, two helicopters work a fire north of Canadian, Texas.

Below, CAL FIRE helicopter 301 makes a swift water rescue.

Firefighter fatality in Texas

Andy Loller
Andy Loller. Photo credit: Weatherford Fire Department.

Richard “Andy” Loller, Jr., a firefighter assigned to the Scenic Loop Complex of Fires in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, suffered a medical emergency and passed away June 10. He was flown by helicopter to receive medical treatment and was stabilized before being placed on a medical airplane to Odessa to receive further treatment. While in flight he passed away.

“We are all deeply shocked and saddened by the news of Andy’s passing,” said Weatherford City Manager Sharon Hayes. “He will be sorely missed by the community and all who knew and worked with him. Our prayers are with his family at this time.”

Currently, arrangements are underway to care for his family. Firefighter Loller, Jr. was 42 years of age and was assigned to Weatherford, Texas Fire Department Station 36 on A-Shift. He served 13 years in the fire service and is survived by his wife, two children, and a sister.

Our sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and coworkers of firefighter Loller.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Perry.
Typos or errors, report them HERE.

18 fires being managed as Scenic Loop Complex in Texas

Scenic Loop Complex of Fires
Scenic Loop Complex of Fires, by SEAT pilot Marc Mullis. Uploaded to Inciweb June 6, 2018.

A thunderstorm on June 3 that pelted the Davis Mountains in west Texas with lightning started 18 wildfires. Rain that followed may have put some of them out and others could have burned together, but remaining are at least 7 fires ranging between 11 and 3,541 acres, for a total burned area of approximately 8,134 acres.

The fires are spreading through rough terrain and currently are not a threat to any subdivisions. They are 14 miles west of Fort Davis, 6 miles west of the McDonald Observatory, and as close as half a mile north of the McDannald Fire that burned 19,000 acres north of Highway 166 in the first part of May.

Map of the fires Scenic Loop Complex
Map of the fires in the Scenic Loop Complex. Current at 2:21 a.m. CDT June 6, 2018.

The Lone Star State Type 2 Incident Management Team is in unified command with the County of Jeff Davis to manage the fires. A Type 1 Incident Management Team has been ordered.

Currently firefighters are being supported by helicopters, as well as Very Large, Large, and Single Engine Air Tankers. Multiple hand crews are en route.

Mallard Fire in Texas reaches Highway 287

Hotshots Mallard Fire
A Hotshot crew en route to the Mallard Fire in Texas. Photo by CarrieAnn Fain.

(Originally published at 7:13 a.m. CDT May 13, 2018)

The Mallard Fire in the panhandle of Texas has been very active over the last two days and has burned a total of more than 63,000 acres. But where it has spread from rugged terrain into pastures and agricultural property firefighters have been more successful.

In two places it has approached U.S. Highway 287. Firefighters were able to stop it just before it hit the small community of Goodnight. But seven miles southeast of the town it crossed the highway and ran briefly into fields before being knocked down.

map mallard fire
Map showing the perimeter of the Mallard Fire at 9:42 p.m. CDT May 12, 2018.

On Sunday the area is just outside a Red Flag Warning area, but the weather will not be helping firefighters much today. The winds will be out of the south at 10 to 22 mph with gusts in the late afternoon reaching 29 mph. The temperature will max out at 94 while the relative humidity increases from 22 percent to 40 percent in the afternoon. There is a 38 percent chance of thunderstorms and gusty winds after 4 p.m.

Weather geeks are having a field day observing the Mallard Fire. For the last two days it has produced huge pyrocumulus clouds stretching for miles into Oklahoma. At times it has morphed into a supercell with lightning and mammatus clouds.

Over the last few years extreme fire behavior has become more “normal”. Firefighters must maintain their situational awareness. What they are used to seeing and expecting may not be, now, what actually occurs on a wildfire. Hopefully, technology that exists and has been talked about but not widely deployed, will be made available to firefighters so they can know in real time WHERE the fire is and WHERE firefighters are.

Mallard Fire burns over 30,000 acres southeast of Amarillo, Texas

Mallard fire map

Above:  GOES 16 satellite image of the Mallard Fire at 3:22 p.m. CDT May 11, 2018.

(Updated at 8:08 p.m. CDT May 11, 2018)

The time-lapse video below is mesmerizing!!

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(Originally published at 4:37 p.m. CDT May 11, 2018)

A large wildfire is moving through Armstrong County in the Texas panhandle 32 miles southeast of Amarillo and 18 miles southwest of Clarendon. Friday afternoon the Texas Forest Service said it had burned approximately 34,000 acres.

On Thursday the Summer Field Fire merged with the Mallard Fire. Large air tankers, SEATs, and helicopters have been working the fire since Wednesday. A very large air tanker was ordered Thursday.

Mallard fire map
Heat detected by a satellite over the Mallard Fire in the Texas panhandle. The most recent, the red dots, are from 3:13 a.m. CDT May 11, 2018.

The photo below is from Friday:

Below is a photo from Thursday:

The fire is putting up a huge column of smoke and is creating a large pyrocumulus cloud blowing off to the east.

McDannald Fire is very active west of Fort Davis, Texas

McDannald Fire, may 2, 2018

Above: 3D map of the McDannald Fire showing the approximate perimeter at 4:23 a.m. CDT May 2, 2018.

(Originally published at 10:55 a.m. CDT May 2, 2018)

The McDannald Fire 13 miles west of Fort Davis, Texas was very active Tuesday and early Wednesday morning. Pushed by 10 to 20 mph winds out of the south and southwest it spread to within a mile west of Tomahawk Trail on the east side of the fire.

Our very unofficial estimate based on heat detections Wednesday morning by a satellite put it at about 18,000 acres. Most if not all of the fire is north of Highway 166.

Officials estimate that 400 homes are threatened. Evacuations are ongoing in the Davis Mountain Resort community.

The area is under a Red Flag Warning Wednesday for strong southwest winds of 16 to 30 mph gusting above 40 mph along with relative humidity in the mid-teens. These conditions could be conducive to the fire continuing to spread to the northeast toward Davis Mountain Resort. The McDonald Observatory is 8 miles northeast of the fire.

Map of the McDannald Fire
Map of the McDannald Fire showing the approximate perimeter at 4:23 a.m. CDT May 2, 2018.

The Texas Forest Service reports that lightning started the fire on Monday. A Type 1 Incident Management Team with Incident Commander Mike Dueitt is mobilizing.

McDannald Fire, April 30, 2018
McDannald Fire, April 30, 2018. Texas Forest Service photo.

Air tanker traffic in Abilene heavier than average

Abilene Air Tanker Base
Air tankers at the Abilene Air Tanker Base. Screen grab from the KTAB video.

The air tanker base at Abilene Regional Airport has been busier than usual so far this year.

The four large air tankers stationed there Wednesday is the most they have had in one day since 2011.

Texas firefighters need fire department shirts

This message was distributed by Firefighter Close Calls August 30, requesting that it be passed along. If every fire station could send one shirt, that could have an impact.

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All,
This is a immediate request for unused fire/rescue/EMS department or company t-shirts of any and all sizes to be distributed to Texas Firefighters (and their families) who have suffered property losses. The shirts will provide them with something new to wear after losing so much, and it also allows them to wear the logo of those departments, locals, associations and fire companies that were able to help.

If your fire department, EMS or rescue squad, association or local is able to help, by sending some of YOUR DEPARTMENT T-SHIRTS, please send them to:

Fire Shirts
c/o Texas State Fire Marshals Office
333 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78701

The t-shirts will be provided specifically to firefighters, EMT’s and medics who have suffered losses over the last few days. This is the same that was done for Firefighters impacted by Katrina and it was very helpful and appreciated.

Take Care. be Careful. Pass It On.

BillyG
The Secret List 8/30/2017-1730 Hours
www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com