‘It was bound to happen’: Mendocino Complex firefighter may have died from airplane fire retardant drop, report says
At about
The incident was serious enough that
"Fire line personnel must remain clear from areas being impacted by aircraft retardant/water drops with overhead hazards," the report stated.
The three-sentence preliminary report did not provide any more details on the event.
The retardant drop came from the big guns in
"It was bound to happen," Grissom said. "If you drop a full load of retardant at a low drop point and it's still a solid mass it's gonna blow the (expletive) out of the tops of trees."
Many of the larger planes simply drop the retardant out of the belly of the plane and the liquid mixture falls to the ground at the same speed as the planes, which can be 250 to 300 mph. Add to the equation drought-weakened or dead trees and Grissom said it can be a hazard.
Planes must fly low to make sure the retardant hits the ground, adding wind from the aircraft to the trees and a thicker consistency to the retardant when it hits the foliage.
Some planes have drop systems that allow them to spray the retardant, which slows it down almost like a fine rain, but it's unknown if the aircraft that day had such a system.
Ground firefighters receive radio warning of an impending drop, Grissom said, before a lead plane makes a warning pass, and before returning for a second pass followed by the drop aircraft.
Related Articles
*
A tale of two (smoky) cities:
*
The Ferguson Fire: by the numbers
*
Will customers have to pay for
*
*
As wildfire costs reach new heights, will homeowners get socked on insurance?
"The guys in the aircraft can't see people on the ground," the wildland firefighter veteran said. "But it's not uncommon. I've seen many limbs broken. It does not take a lot. It's best to get out of the way when the lead plane makes the first path."
What no one argues is the importance of retardant drops.
"It's used on the fire's edge to impede progress. To give a chance for the ground troops to catch up," McLean said. "Or it can be dropped on the fire to cool it down."
___
(c)2018 the Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)
Visit the Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.) at www.eastbaytimes.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
McCaskill holds meeting with high court nominee
Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC and Keller Lenkner LLC File Eight New Class Actions Against Opioid Manufacturers and Distributors for Inflated Health Insurance Costs
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News