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 Rural Fire Service: New CH47 Added to Aviation Fleet

 As the bush fire season in New South Wales (NSW) Australia is underway, I wanted to find a little more information about their fleet of firefighting aircraft including the new addition of a CH47 Chinook Helicopter to their fleet. I knew that I had read that the NSW Rural Fire Service had acquired a CH47 Chinook in the last 3 or 4 months, and a little digging in my email revealed that Mike Archer had shared an article in his August 7th Wildfire News of the Day newsletter about this acquisition, he referenced this August 7th  article in Helicopter Investor discussing this purchase. 

Rob Rogers, commissioner, RFS said: “The Chinook carries a similar load to a 737 large air tanker but can fill up and turn around faster, protecting people and homes from fires." ...

The CH-47 is powered by two Lycoming T55 turboshaft engines, mounted on each side of the helicopter’s rear pylon and connected to the rotors by drive shafts. The aircraft’s counter-rotating rotors eliminate the need for an antitorque vertical rotor. This enables all the power to be used for lift and thrust. The ability to adjust lift in either rotor makes it less sensitive to changes in the centre of gravity, important for the cargo lifting and dropping, such as when deployed on firefighting missions.

The CH47 arrived in NSW in late July or early August. At present it can carry up to 10,000 liters (or 2,641 gallons) in a bambi bucket. During the (Australian) winter of 2024 an internal tank capable of carrying 11,000 liters (or 2,905 gallons). 

Direct link to YouTube video from Sky News Australia

I thought that you might be interested in reading a July 2023 article in the Aerial Fire Magazine on the NSW Rural Fire Service's aerial firefighting fleet that may be found here. I was glad to read this article because they referred to other aircraft in the NSW fleet: six Bell 412 helicopters, a 737 Fireliner "Marie Bashier", two Cessna Citations for fire mapping and monitoring, and a third fixed wing aircraft. In addition I learned more about the NSW Rural Fire Service's aviation resources and how they are used in aerial firefighting. Finally, I just saw an interesting article on Aerial Fire (dated October 13th) reporting that Australia's largest firefighting helicopter, which I think is the CH47, was used to retrieve a submerged vehicle from a body of water.

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.

Australia 2021-22 wildfire season

It is funny how things work out. There are a couple of things that have been percolating in the back of mind that I hope that I will be able to write about. One is wildfires that burned in Michigan from 1870 into the early years of the twentieth century. I have requested a book from my library on interlibrary loan devoted to these wildfires. I have no idea how long this request will take to be fulfilled or even if it will be fulfilled. 

The second is something that I will write about today. That is, as we in the northern climes of the United States will soon be getting ready for winter, Australia is entering Spring and Summer and their 2021-22 bushfire season. I pay special attention to New South Wales because I have some distant relatives who live in New South Wales. When I was poking around on YouTube just now for videos on the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, I was very interested to see a video report from 7News Australia that New South Wales will have two Blackhawk Helicopters added to their fleet of firefighting aircraft for bush fire emergencies this bush fire season. 

Bill Gabbert of Fire Aviation reported on October 18th on aerial firefighting assets in Australia. Bill mentions that two Blackhawks will be on contract in New South Wales from October 1st for 120 days. I am not quite sure if the two Blackhawks discussed in the News7 report below are the same ones that Bill discusses in his article, but Bill is very through so I assume that they are one and the same,

Direct link to video from News7 Australia on YouTube

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.