Fire trials for very large air tanker
Fire trials for very large air tanker
09 March 2010
published by www.araratadvertiser.com.au
Australia — Scientific trials were held near Streatham last week to determine the effectiveness of a very large air tanker (or VLAT) for Victoria’s fire-fighting effort.
DSE Chief Fire Officer Ewan Waller said the trial began with the DC-10 dropping a 42,000 litre load of retardant into a heavily treed area of the Enfield State Forest, south-west of Ballarat.
”This drop was similar to an earlier test we did over the Wombat Forest, to further determine how much retardant actually penetrates a forest canopy to reach the floor of a dense area of tall eucalypts,” Mr Waller said.
The VLAT trial was conducted by experts from the Bushfire Co-operative Research Centre, who inspected the drop site before it was ignited.
”After the researchers collected their ground data, our fire crews ignited this 415 hectare area as part of our planned burning program to reduce forest fuel loads,” he said.
The scientists then returned to see how the fire reacted when it reached the retardant.
”So as we continue our trial of the VLAT, we’re also working to protect local communities from the threat of more severe and intense bushfires next summer,” Mr Waller said.
After a short return flight to Avalon to refill, the VLAT then flew to an area five kilometres north east of Streatham to lay retardant along a large paddock of stubble trash.
The DC-10 dropped two half-loads of retardant at different coverage levels, and these were again measured by the Bushfire CRC.
Then as part of a carefully supervised simulated emergency, CFA crews ignited the stubble and let it burn up to the retardant, to test its ability to halt a moving grass fire.
This allowed the research team to collect some very important data on grassland fire behaviour, as opposed to the fire behaviour found in a typical forest environment.
Mr Waller said his VLAT project team will continue trialling the DC-10’s fire-fighting capabilities right up until its departure from Victoria later this month.
”Thankfully we’ve had only one fire this season that required the use of the DC-10, which has been great news for Victorian communities and our fire agencies,” he said.
”But our testing program depends on the right weather conditions, which we have no control over, so we’ll continue to take every opportunity to do more testing.”
