Fwd: Water Bombing Forest Fires (4:36 min.)

Our fire fighting policy here is just idiotic and insane. I had gotten a couple books and read extensively about the South Canyon fire (Storm King Mountain) in Colorado several years back. That was a BAD one that caught a whole jump crew in the open during a flash over. Their little shelters didn't save them, and they died real hard. Like other major fatal events in firefighting, they had a full post- on the incident to see how it killed so many expert professionals.

Part of the problem, in my view..even if it wasn't highlighted by itself..was air support, or the lack of it. The Colorado River was RIGHT THERE..and good to go too! It isn't quite the river people imagine at that point in the mountains, but its plenty to fight a fire.

It wasn't legal for the helicopter to dunk its bucket and then take the bucket over an interstate highway (I-70 was within sight of the South Canyon fire)...so it had to dunk further away, limiting dump trips and overall, limiting response..if only a bit. Well, the crew that died..only missed safety by a bit too. Literally..only a bit off.