JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — Crews fighting fires, such as the Upper Applegate Fire, rely on a plethora of tools — and one of the most vital in treacherous conditions is aerial support, such as helicopters and planes.
Pilots in planes drop retardant onto areas around the fire, slowing its spread. Different helicopters also drop thousands of gallons of water on the fire.
“We keep it in check so it doesn’t become uncontrolled of a burn,” said Type 1 helicopter pilot Aya Murakoshi.
Multiple helicopters have been assigned to the Upper Applegate Fire per day, each going on 3-hour long shifts in which they fill up and drop buckets of water upwards of 40 times. With type 1 choppers carrying 1,000-gallon water buckets, they can drench the fire with 40,000 gallons in a day.
Read more at KDRV.com
