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