2025 Wildfire Season

[Cloud Cover]

In

Bombers don't work when you have crown fires rolling. Only on initial starts are they very effective or maybe the rear/flank areas.

But the fuels driving the fire are a very complex situation from both management, long growth cycles and politics (i.e. what do you let burn if you can?).

Logging can assist but bad logging can increase danger...such fun times to plan up.

Interestingly in the KN series Wildfire, in the film credits theres a small discussion about what is useful from an aircraft perspective. Bottom line is we need everything and in quite significant numbers sometimes. It seems that the large fires with the available fuel, drought and heat are burning hotter, creating more draft wind that “grabs” helicopters and pulls them in - the pilots fatigue a little bit faster from countering that. Nerves get a little strained. Public and political pressure to contain wildfires negatively impacts morale of aircrew. Bigger helicopters might help, but their down draft causes it’s own problems. The heat above a fire forces bomber pilots (sometimes) to fly a little higher and faster. Surveillance drone equipment goes haywire from the heat of the fires, and thick smoke obscures wireless transmissions. JTAC comms, planning, training, experience are critical but too often scarce for a sustained effort.

I understand the public desire to have the CAF and in particular the RCAF to get more involved in wildfire operations, but there really is a large eco-system in Canada of skilled professionals who have the know how to do this work. But many are approaching retirement age and governments seem addicted to inviting over thousands of foreign wildfire personnel rather than invest more over here. Maybe what the CAF should be doing is asking how they can support that ecosystem so that it can grow. What facilities, aids, equipment and resources do they need to be even more successful. And just ans importantly, why are we not looking after these crews with year round benefits, a decent pension contribution, risk bonuses, career planning etc.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Tangentially, I was talking to a senior person in the Forest Regulatory world about buying more water bombers to deal with climate change issues.

He said 'It's too late for that. We have to figure out how to grow our forests differently.'

So just like that we're past considering different forest management TTPs?

 

[YZT580]

In

Interestingly in the KN series Wildfire, in the film credits theres a small discussion about what is useful from an aircraft perspective. Bottom line is we need everything and in quite significant numbers sometimes. It seems that the large fires with the available fuel, drought and heat are burning hotter, creating more draft wind that “grabs” helicopters and pulls them in - the pilots fatigue a little bit faster from countering that. Nerves get a little strained. Public and political pressure to contain wildfires negatively impacts morale of aircrew. Bigger helicopters might help, but their down draft causes it’s own problems. The heat above a fire forces bomber pilots (sometimes) to fly a little higher and faster. Surveillance drone equipment goes haywire from the heat of the fires, and thick smoke obscures wireless transmissions. JTAC comms, planning, training, experience are critical but too often scarce for a sustained effort.

I understand the public desire to have the CAF and in particular the RCAF to get more involved in wildfire operations, but there really is a large eco-system in Canada of skilled professionals who have the know how to do this work. But many are approaching retirement age and governments seem addicted to inviting over thousands of foreign wildfire personnel rather than invest more over here. Maybe what the CAF should be doing is asking how they can support that ecosystem so that it can grow. What facilities, aids, equipment and resources do they need to be even more successful. And just ans importantly, why are we not looking after these crews with year round benefits, a decent pension contribution, risk bonuses, career planning etc.

perhaps donating the H models to conair if there are any hours left in them

 

[Cloud Cover]

So just like that we're past considering different forest management TTPs?

What do you mean announcing that the Premier is giving the land back to its natural owners at 4PM on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend isn’t an acceptable forest management TTP?

 

[SeaKingTacco]

perhaps donating the H models to conair if there are any hours left in them

That isnt even close to how the Airworthiness Act works in Canada.

 

[YZT580]

That isnt even close to how the Airworthiness Act works in Canada.

oh yeah, forgot about that rules do get in the way don't they. You could keep them, move them to the reserves and recruit Conair pilots to fly them part time. There is always a workaround if you want it or need it.

 

[foresterab]

oh yeah, forgot about that rules do get in the way don't they. You could keep them, move them to the reserves and recruit Conair pilots to fly them part time. There is always a workaround if you want it or need it.

Except Ontario can't staff the existing tankers they have and Conair (the contract provider for the new Saskatchewan Q-400's) didn't have certified pilots avaiable either so they almost lost the one plane in La Ronge without completing a single mission. To be fair the plan was to use the plane to get folks certified but then fires interfered...

It's also an annual certification and not as simple as a airframe type certification.

 

[foresterab]

In

Interestingly in the KN series Wildfire, in the film credits theres a small discussion about what is useful from an aircraft perspective. Bottom line is we need everything and in quite significant numbers sometimes. It seems that the large fires with the available fuel, drought and heat are burning hotter, creating more draft wind that “grabs” helicopters and pulls them in - the pilots fatigue a little bit faster from countering that. Nerves get a little strained. Public and political pressure to contain wildfires negatively impacts morale of aircrew. Bigger helicopters might help, but their down draft causes it’s own problems. The heat above a fire forces bomber pilots (sometimes) to fly a little higher and faster. Surveillance drone equipment goes haywire from the heat of the fires, and thick smoke obscures wireless transmissions. JTAC comms, planning, training, experience are critical but too often scarce for a sustained effort.

I understand the public desire to have the CAF and in particular the RCAF to get more involved in wildfire operations, but there really is a large eco-system in Canada of skilled professionals who have the know how to do this work. But many are approaching retirement age and governments seem addicted to inviting over thousands of foreign wildfire personnel rather than invest more over here. Maybe what the CAF should be doing is asking how they can support that ecosystem so that it can grow. What facilities, aids, equipment and resources do they need to be even more successful. And just ans importantly, why are we not looking after these crews with year round benefits, a decent pension contribution, risk bonuses, career planning etc.

That there is an excellent summery of many of the challenges. And it's the same conversations when I talk to the US, Australia, and any Canadian Province peer over futures. My Spanish isn't good enough to talk specifics with other agencies and I don't know any Afrikans.

Think of it this way...you are usually 2-3 years to create a crew leader
Maybe 5 years for a solid strike team leader to supervise crews
Another couple of years for a Division supervisor to supervise the strike teams
A Branch Director or Ops Chief is often 10-15 years experience.
This is all due to usually only getting to deploy on 1-3 major fires a year...and only major fires tend to count....and often only at out of control status due to the challenges an OC fire represents vs. a static under control fire.

And it's not as simple as a single role...a good ops chief also has experience with heavy equipment, aircraft, ideally some logistics and command experience....all of which are additional deployments/time spent. Most full time agency staff also have duties above wildfire ranging from full spectrum like Manitoba/NWT Conservation Officers to specialized roles supporting both operations and prevention like BC Wildfire. Specialized roles often require additional training time annually and/or professional development training to remain effective. Oh wait...supervision and hiring is also part of the role. All these combine to slow pure development down.

And just like the CAF a good cadre of experienced NCO's to form structure and solid leadership is needed. A fire full of privates and 2nd Lt's. is probably not the ideal way to do things.

Fully aware how fast the CAF or it's predecessor CEF expanded and how painful some of the lessons were learned under combat. And the last few years have been a real forge...for good and bad impacts on staff....on development/future capacity. Many have seen more major fires in the last few years than many saw in decades prior...but also the burnout is affecting many staff and families as a result.

If I went to the local municipal as a full time fire fighter....my pay would be close to 20K more a year...for many of my peers its closer to 50K. For a job in the forest industry....almost a big of pay. Reality is that for many staff they stay because of their peers and love of the job...not the pay but the recent cost of living also is impacting the ability to recruit and retain people. Sound familiar to the current CAF challenges?