How firefighters are using aircraft to effectively fight wildfires

CHENEY, Wash. - Not only are firefighters still working to contain wildfires on the ground, but they are also fighting the flames from the air.

The quick response in the air is what's helping firefighters stop some of those fires from spreading, especially when it comes to cooling down hot sports and allowing crews to get in and help line the fire.

There are over 40 different aircraft used by the Department of Natural Resources can use to fight wildfires, including some that are stationed nearby in Deer Park.

About a dozen aircraft were used to fight the Columbia Basin Fire. Dropping water and fire retardant on the fire quickly made a big difference.

"That retardant is designed to slow the spread of a fire so our crews can get in and construct things like dozer lines in a safe manner without having to worry about that fire having a rapid spread to their location," said Ryan Rodruck with DNR.

DNR said the fire crews on the ground have a direct line to the aircraft to let them know what part of the wildfire they need to treat.

"Often times, we dispatch aircraft to incidents where terrain is a challenge... where we are in steep or difficult terrain. Where a crew could not normally access it on foot or with heavy equipment and engines," said Rodruck.

When there are multiple aircraft at the same fire, DNR has a smaller plane that circles above the fire area to help control the air traffic.

They also use several types of aircraft including helicopters, air tankers to drop fire retardant, and 'super scooper' planes that drop water to cool down the fire.

Once the aircraft have helped get control of the fire, then the firefighters on the ground can work on getting more control and containing the fire.

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