A behind the scenes look into an essential piece for fighting wildfires
Posted:
Amarillo, TX- Air tankers are an essential piece in fighting wildfires and keeping you and your property safe.
Pilots from across the United States have been assisting local firefighters, the Texas Forest Service and the US Forest Service in recent weeks with numerous wildfires in our area.
The air tankers assist with dropping fire retardant on the places most affected by the blaze and the terrain that is harder for the firefighters on the ground to get to.
"Sometimes, we're getting the lay of the land, sometime we're trying to figure out what the ground guys need and of course if they want a drop real close to where they are working then they actually have to clear area, cause we don't want to drop anything on them and we don't want to hurt them, so that is usually what we are doing when we are circling we are just waiting for clearance to drop," says Jesse Weaver a single engine air tanker pilot.
The air tanker Weaver flies, carries 800 gallons of fire retardant at a time.
He says he has made between 30 and 40 drops while helping in the panhandle.
Today's Local News HeadlinesToday's Local NewsMore>>
State lawmakers are hoping to keep children safer in the car by making it easier for prosecutors to file criminal charges against a driver who does not have a child properly strapped into a car or booster.
State lawmakers are hoping to keep children safer in the car by making it easier for prosecutors to file criminal charges against a driver who does not have a child properly strapped into a car or booster.
LUBBOCK, TX - Wildfires scorched about 6,200 square miles of Texas two years ago, draining the state's firefighting coffers and leaving emergency crews exhausted from months of battling massive blazes.
LUBBOCK, TX - Wildfires scorched about 6,200 square miles of Texas two years ago, draining the state's firefighting coffers and leaving emergency crews exhausted from months of battling massive blazes.
OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management says federal grants have been approved to help pay the costs of fighting seven wildfires in Oklahoma.
OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management says federal grants have been approved to help pay the costs of fighting seven wildfires in Oklahoma.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - President Barack Obama absorbed the devastation of Colorado's wildfires Friday, visiting a neighborhood struck by the flames.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - President Barack Obama absorbed the devastation of Colorado's wildfires Friday, visiting a neighborhood struck by the flames.
All content © Copyright 2000-2011 WorldNow and KFDA. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
