Aerial firefighting

Aerial firefighting uses aircraft to deliver water, fire retardant, or crews and equipment to support fire suppression. It complements ground operations rather than replacing them.

Airtanker: An aircraft configured to drop water or fire retardant on wildfires. Airtankers make large, targeted drops that can slow fire spread or protect ground crews.
Wildfire suppression: Actions taken to control and extinguish fires that burn in wildland vegetation. Aerial firefighting supports the broader effort to contain wildfires and protect communities.
Ground-based firefighting: Fire suppression carried out by crews and equipment operating on the ground. Ground crews build and hold control lines that aircraft drops cannot reliably establish.
Wildfire aviation accidents: Accidents involving aircraft engaged in wildfire response and management. Operational hazards have caused fatal crashes, driving strict limits and safety procedures.
Helitack: Wildland firefighting operations that use helicopters to transport crews and equipment. Helitack puts firefighters at remote locations inaccessible to road vehicles.
Smokejumper: A wildland firefighter trained to parachute into remote areas to attack fires. Aircraft can place specialist crews near fires before road access is possible.
Fireline: A barrier, natural or constructed, intended to stop or slow a fire's spread. Aerial drops may reinforce a fireline, but vegetation and terrain determine whether it holds.
Wildfire smoke: The mixture of gases and fine particles produced by burning vegetation and other materials. Aircraft operations occur amid smoke that can restrict visibility and expose crews to hazards.
Water bomber: An aircraft designed or adapted to scoop or load water and drop it on fires. Scooping aircraft can refill from lakes and other suitable water bodies during operations.
Aerial ignition: The intentional starting of fires from aircraft to manage vegetation or fire behavior. Aircraft can also apply fire to prescribed burns and tactical backburns.

Linked from 11 pages