Posted on 10/24/2007 11:01:54 PM PDT by Clive
VICTORIA - A Martin Mars water bomber was expected to leave B.C. at dawn today for San Diego, where weary U.S. crews are battling wildfires that so far have burned more than 750 homes and forced the evacuation of more than half a million residents.
The water bomber's owner, Wayne Coulson, flew with 10 employees to San Diego on Tuesday and will meet up with the aircraft as it arrives.
"We're really grateful to have it here," said Maurice Luque, spokesman of the San Diego fire department.
The fires, fuelled by drought and fanned by the dry Santa Ana winds, are not contained but the winds lessened somewhat on Tuesday.
"It would have been so wonderful to have had the Mars here a day or so ago when the fire first broke out," said Luque, adding that resources, personnel and equipment have been sent from Northern California to help out.
The fires could be larger than the ones that devastated the San Diego region in 2003, said Luque: "We thought we saw the last of fires of that magnitude but we definitely have that here."
Coulson Group had been anticipating a call for the water bomber and plans were in place to send it south.
"I've been down with San Diego fire department four times in the last five weeks working ... on placing the Mars down there for the Santa Anas," said Coulson on Tuesday. "We're ahead of the game, we've flown into a bunch of the water reservoirs down there so we have a sense of where we're going to go."
A tractor-trailer used for specialized maintenance and a fuel truck left for San Diego Monday.
This isn't the first time a Coulson-owned aircraft has fought wildfires in Southern California. A firefighting helicopter worked in the Los Angeles basin for five years.
"It's a natural fit for us," said Coulson. "We know everybody, we know what we're going into and everyone knows us. We're pretty pleased."
The water bomber will likely be put to work covering homes and structures with a protective covering called Thermo-Gel, which consists of 98 per cent water and a super-absorbent polymer. Fighting the fires right now is just too difficult, said Coulson.
"There's not a hell of a lot you can do with a 60-mph wind and fire coming at you other than just gelling homes to protect as many as you can," he said.
Victoria Times Colonist
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Thank You Canada!
Obviously designed by the Canadian military-industrial complex to dominate the water balloon fights of the 21st Century.
I am heartened to see this weapon of war being used for peaceful purposes.
Actually it’s American made, American designed, ex US Navy
http://www.martinmars.com/profile.htm
Flying Tankers Inc. was formed in 1959 by a consortium of forest companies after experiencing several catastrophic fire seasons. The new company then purchased the remaining four of the world’s only fleet of mighty Martin Mars aircraft from the US Navy.
Originally, the Martin Mars flying boats were produced for the US Navy and were used as troop and cargo transports among the islands of the Pacific. Firefighting certainly wasn’t what the aircraft’s manufacturer, Glenn L. Martin had in mind..... however, all four aircraft, the Marianas, Philippine, Hawaii and Caroline Mars were ferried to British Columbia where three were fitted with 7,200 gallon (27,276 litres) water tanks and converted to waterbombers!
In 1961 the Marianas Mars was destroyed while on firefighting operations and all four crew members were lost. The Caroline Mars was also destroyed while ashore by a hurricane in 1962. The two remaining aircraft, the Philippine and Hawaii Mars, have continued on to provide unsurpassed firefighting protection for thirty-seven accident free years! They have operated on hundreds of fires saving untold thousands of acres of valuable forestlands, delivering foam or water exactly where and when it is needed.
Omigosh! You're saying that the terrorists are sneaking across the borders, coming at us with some new type of "water bomb"? Argh!! What won't they think of next?
Thank you, Mr. Coulson!
Great start in more ways then one.
The most patriotic Americans are also the most appreciative.
More ways then one,. Your assumption is negative.
...It should suffice to say that the people who maintain them also fly in them - added incentive to do their work well!...
Originally belonged to the US Navy...
Why do we not have such aircraft here in the US, particularly with all the major fires of the last decade or so...???
Seems to me that the California National Guard would have at least a couple of these beasts... OF course, the controls would all have to be in Spanish...
“California rejects top Russian firefighting plane”
“The Unites States has rejected Russia’s offer of an Ilyushin 76 firefighting plane, which experts say is first rate at dealing with fires of the sort now tearing through southern California.
Republican congress member Dana Rohrabacher says he’s been trying to get the Ilyushins to the U.S. for years, and says Californians are now paying the price for not having them.”
http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/15979
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Are we this stupid?
Foolish pride?
You forgot to mention American Abandoned...
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