Thank-you NSW Rural Fire Service for sending CA your 737 Tanker for the summer

 I follow the NSW Rural Fire Service (Australia) on Facebook. I knew that the New South Wales Rural Fire Service was sending their 737 large air tanker to California for the summer wildfire season where she will help other airtankers and helicopters in California flying wildfires in support of the ground crews. I believe that they loan California an airtanker most every year for our summer (their winter). I am very appreciative of the generosity of the NSW Rural Fire Service in helping my friends in California fight wildfires. The 737 air tanker has already completed five missions and the number of missions flown will multiply significantly as the summer wildfire season progresses. 

Direct link to June 19th post on Facebook by the NSW Rural Fire Service

2024 California Wildfire Season: Welcome to 737 Tanker from NSW Rural Fire Service

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia is sending their 737 Large Air Tanker "Marie Bashier" to California where she will first undergo annual maintenance by Coulson Aviation at their Palm Springs Facility before being deployed to assist Cal Fire in their upcoming fire season. See the comments in the embedded Facebook post from the NSW Rural Fire Service for more information about Coulson's contract for maintenance of the Marie Bashir. Thanks to the NSW Rural Fire Service for sending the Marie Bashir to help my friends in California this season.

New South Wales deploys Marie Bashir (737 air tanker) to United States for 2nd year in a row

In August of 2021, New South Wales (Australia) sent the Marie Bashir, a 737 air tanker to the United States for a 45 day deployment. I greatly appreciated the assistance of the Marie Basir air tanker, her pilots and the rest of her crew in helping our wildland firefighters on the ground work wildfires in the western United States. This year, the government of New South Wales is again assisting the United States by deploying the Marie Bashir to the United States to help our wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air fight wildfires. Thank-you to the crew of the Marie Bashir and the government of New South Wales for coming to our assistance.

Direct link to video from Sky News Australia on YouTube

I understand that the Marie Bashir left Australia on or about August 6th and arrived in Boise on or about August 11th. As you will see from the Facebook post from the NSW Rural Fire Service that I embedded below, she has arrived in Boise, Idaho and was flown two fires, the Four Corners Fire in Idaho and Pete's Fire in Utah. You may also want to see the news report from the Australian Rural and Regional News (August 8, 2022) for more information.

2021 wildfire season: Thank-you Marie Bashir (T 210) and New South Wales Rural Fire Service

I wish that I could have been there in San Bernardino person to offer my thanks and gratitude to 737 tanker 210, Marie Bashir, who served here in the United States for 57 days, on loan from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. You and your crew flew 40 fires in the western U.S. Thank-you and your crew for helping fight these wildfires in support of our wildland firefighters on the ground. I wish you well as you get a maintenance check in advance of your flight home to New South Wales, Australia as their bush fire season is just starting.

2021 wildfire season: update on 737 tanker Marie Bashier

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service heard our request for help and loaned us their 737 tanker, Tanker 210, known as The Marie Bahsier for what I understand is a six week deployment (see my August 11th post for more information). She arrived here in the United States at the end of July and has been hard at work since that time. I continue to send my heartfelt thanks to The Marie Bashier and her crew. Thank-you so much for your service in support of wildland firefighters on the ground. Stay safe so that you can go home to your families. I understand that you have dropped about 1.3 million litres (343,424 gallons) of water on 30 fires Some of you may want to go to this Facebook post for a short video of The Marie Bashier.

2021 wildfire season: thank-you New South Wales and 737 tanker Marie Bashier

 I understand from reading Bill Gabbert's Fire Aviation that there are not enough air tankers in the United States, nothing new but the numbers of available air tankers are lower than expected, see July 28th Fire Aviation article for more information and this August 7th article from Fire Aviation focusing on the lack of available air tankers in California.

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia answered our request for a large air tanker and sent their 737 air tanker known as "Marie Bashir." She arrived on July 24th for a 45 day deployment and she and her crew have been working since then flying multiple wildfires out west. Thank-you NSW Rural Fire Service, and the crew of Marie Bashier for helping the western wildfire fighters in a devastating wildfire season. 

2021 wildfire season: New South Wales 737 arrived in California

The 737 airtanker from New South Wales in Australia, known as Marie Bashir has arrived in San Bernadino, California. Thanks to the NSW Rural Fire Service for sending her to help out in the devastating wildfire season in the Western United States. She is on a 45 day deployment. Bill Gabbert of Fire Aviation reported on the loan of the 737 by New South Wales on July 21st.

2021 wildfire season: New South Wales sending 737 tanker to U.S.

 I follow the NSW Rural Fire Service on Facebook and was very happy to read that after a request from the United States that their are sending their 737 tanker "Marie Basher" to the United States to help with the wildfires in the western United States. I am not ashamed to admit that this bought tears to my eyes. Thank-you NSW Rural Fire Service for helping us out in the western U.S. during what is turning into a devastating wildfire season. I wish you safe travels to the U.S, and safe flying once you get here.