Thank-you SEATs and Helos

The two larger wildfires that happened in NJ last month, the Owassa Fire and another fire known as the Weber Fire got me thinking about the important role that SEATs (single-engine air tankers) and helos (helicopters) play in wildland firefighting. The two fires that I wrote about are but examples where SEATs were deployed, working to support the firefighters on the ground. In the case of the Owassa Fire, a helo with a bucket was deployed as well.

These two fires gave me pause to consider and to remind myself that tankers of all sizes, including the SEATs and helos with buckets are making drops in support of the firefighters on the ground. It is all these resources working together -- NJ Forest Fire Service firefighters, municipal firefighters, and aerial resources that brought these two fires under control without damage to near by residences. Sadly a firefighter riding an ATV at the Owassa Fire had a severe head injury and the last I heard he was recovering.

But those two "larger" fires do not represent the only fires in NJ were SEATs and were used. There are other smaller fires where SEATs have made at least one drop. SEATs make drops on fires as small as one-quarter of an acre. This can happen when the SEAT arrives before the ground crews and makes a drop. Or perhaps the ground crews are having trouble accessing the fire for some reason so the SEAT arrives and makes a drop, knocking down the small fire until the ground crews can get in. When I see that a SEAT made one or more drops on a small fire whether it be three acres or 1/4 of an acre, I know that the SEAT pilot worked with the fire fighters on the ground and together the fire was brought under control during the initial attack phase. And I think, "nice going and thank-you!"

When the SEATs are not on contract, there are provisions for SEATs to be deployed to fires when conditions warrant. A recent example being the Paramount Fire that burned 540 acres in Barnegat NJ on March 20. SEATs were not on contract, but were deployed to the Paramount Fire. You were not "on contract", you were asked to come and make drops to support the crews on the ground and you did just that. That fire could have been a whole lot worse, it wasn't. No structures were loss and injuries to firefighters, if any, were minimal.

Thank-you SEAT and helo pilots!