| Aerial firefighting is a type of firefighting method | | | | removes the heat from the fire and covers it so |
| that has come to be because of wildfires | | | | the fire can't get any oxygen. A Borat salt |
| occurring in difficult areas to reach. Aircraft | | | | mixture was once used but it was found to not |
| including helicopters and planes are used in aerial | | | | only be toxic to the animals but would cause the |
| firefighting and each carry regular water or a | | | | soil to become worthless. |
| special fire extinguishing material. In combination | | | | The new ammonium sulfate mixture is combined |
| with these special aircraft that fight the fire from | | | | with a clay and guar gum to thicken it and a red |
| the sky, Smoke-jumpers are a special group of | | | | coloring is also added. This mixture helps prevent |
| firefighters who parachute in to the difficult areas | | | | rust deposits from occurring and the thickness |
| and fight the fire from the ground. They are a | | | | provides a lower chance of the material running |
| very unique breed of firefighters and the death | | | | off the original location it is applied to and the |
| rate for these firefighters is not low because of | | | | coloring shows where it has been applied. This |
| the dangerous job they do. | | | | safer chemical will actually fertilize the ground to |
| The helicopters use a bucket or tank to carry | | | | help vegetation grow back quicker but if any of |
| water or other material to extinguish the fire. | | | | the ammonium sulfate mixture gets into a body |
| They fill the bucket with water by dipping it into a | | | | of water and incurs too much sunlight, it could be |
| pond or lake nearby and then it is flown to and | | | | harmful to the fish in that water. |
| dumped on the fire. One of the most widely used | | | | Aerial firefighting can save more land than by just |
| buckets designed for this job is called the Bambi | | | | using a regular ground attack because they can |
| Bucket. The helicopters using tanks will get the | | | | cover more area from the air. As seen on the |
| water from a nearby water source also, by using | | | | many television broadcasts showing wild fires, it |
| a straw-like snorkel. The tanks can usually be filled | | | | can be a week to a few months before these |
| while they are in the air with this type of snorkel | | | | types of fires are completely extinguish even with |
| device. Airplanes carry tanks that can be filled | | | | the help of these special firefighters. We could be |
| while they are on the ground and/or by skimming | | | | losing a larger amount of our forests were it not |
| across the water to fill them if necessary. | | | | for the personnel performing aerial firefighting |
| Most aerial firefighting jobs are done with a | | | | jobs. |
| chemical called ammonium sulfate. This chemical | | | | |
