Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS)
MAFFS Retardant Drop (Videographer David Kosling, U.S. Department of Agriculture) The USDA Forest Service contracts with private companies to provide airtankers to drop fire retardant as part of wildfire suppression efforts. But during periods of high wildfire activity, often there aren’t enough contracted airtankers to meet demands. That’s where Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (…
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McCall Smokejumper Aircraft
The DH-6 300 series Twin Otter is a Short-Take-Off-and-Landing (STOL) aircraft ideal for demanding smokejumper missions in the back country. The Twin Otter has a cruise speed of 150 knots, providing an initial attack capability of eight smokejumpers with a two day supply of food, water, and firefighting supplies within a range of 340 nautical miles from the base of operation. The STOL capability…
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Helitack
Helitack crews are teams of firefighters who are transported by helicopter to wildfires. Helicopters provide rapid transport, enabling helitack crews to quickly respond and assess a wildfire situation. Helitack crews may land near a wildfire or, if equipped and trained, rappel from a hovering helicopter. Once on the ground, crews build firelines using hand tools, chainsaws, and other firefighting…
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Helicopters
20180816-FS-Mendocino-SkyCraneHelicopter-0001.They can be fitted with tanks or buckets to deliver water and fire retardant to the fireline. Large, heavy-lift helicopters can fill their water tanks with a snorkel that siphons water from lakes, rivers, or other sources. Smaller helicopters carry water in buckets that hold between 100-400 gallons of water. Each bucket has a release valve on the…
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Data, Tools and Products
DashboardsDashboards are business intelligence tools that display data and visualizations. They are designed to facilitate transparency and evidence-based decision making in specific topic areas. Publicly available dashboards governed by the Forest Service Chief Data Office include products focused on economic contributions of national forests, timber sales, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA…