As many of you no doubt know last Thursday (April 24th) saw two major wildfires in Berkeley Township, NJ (Ocean County). Two single-engine airtankers (Air Tractor 602s) on contract with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) dropped on those major wildfires and one or two other smaller wildfires that burned nearby. One or two NJFFS Huey helicopters with buckets worked the fires in addition to an observation NJFFS observation helicopter. I knew that Charlie-2 dropped on a 1,500 acre wildfire that burned earlier that same week in southern New Jersey (Railroad Fire in Downe Township). Last Tuesday (April 22nd), a 75-acre wildfire burned near Highlands Lake, NJ in northern New Jersey, I understand that Alpha-3 dropped on that fire.
I wondered if three SEATs were enough. I was happy when I heard that there was authorization for a fourth SEAT that day (Charlie-2). I was somewhat relieved when my friends at Downstown told me that Alpha-3 was on base at Andover-Aeroflex in Division A (north Jersey), and that Charlie-2 (Turbo-Cat) was ready to respond to other wildfires in Divisions B and C (central and south Jersey respectively).
Ok, so we had other single-engine air tankers available on Thursday April 24th that were not working fires in Ocean County, NJ. Still, knowing that we were under Red Flag Warnings that day, I wondered what would happen if other larger or even major wildfires cropped up.
It turned out that there was another major wildfire that Thursday night, the White Oak Wildfire in Gloucester County, NJ. I don't exactly know when Charlie-1 was released from the wildfires in Berkeley Township and how the timing of her release worked out with her need to drop on the White Oak Wildfire. All I know is that, at least on the surface, the timing of these two wildfires seemed to work out. After finishing her work on the wildfires in Berkeley Township, Charlie-1 flew down south to work the White Oak Wildfire. It was a happy ending in Berkeley Township, all were safe and no residences were destroyed. The wildfire in White Oak did not threaten any houses.
My friends at Downstown Aero told me that both Charlie-1 and Charlie-2 worked the White Oak wildfire. Furthermore, Charlie-1 was broken away to make two drops on another wildfire elsewhere in Division C (Section C8, I believe) before going back to the White Oak Wildfire.
I don't have any details, but I am sure that both Charlie-2 and Alpha-3 worked some smaller fires on the 24th.
Last week (week ended April 27th) was the busiest week in our spring wildfire season that I have witnessed since I started writing this blog on aerial wildland fire fighting five years ago. As I was watching some of the press coverage as well as other videos, I thought that we were very lucky that we escaped with only minimal structural damage. No lives were lost and there were no injuries that I know of.
If we continue to have only three SEATs on contract during the spring wildfire season here in New Jersey, the next time we may not be so lucky. The next time lives, houses, and property could be in jeopardy with only three SEATs.
A solution is having a minimum of six SEATs on contract, as we did a few years ago. That would be two SEATs minimum in each of three divisions during the spring wildfire season. Two SEATs at different airports in each division. Two SEATs in each division, a quick flight anywhere they might be needed in the division. Two SEATs to cover one wildfire in their Division along the lines of last week's Continental Wildfire would of meant that two SEATs would have stayed in Division C.
Three SEATs are not enough.
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