Firebombing Mandeville Canyon in a C-130
I watched these guys make their two runs from my front yard yesterday afternoon. These runs were what blocked the Mandeville Canyon fire and kept it from coming over the mountains into Encino. Talk about some stainless steel cojones!
Amazing stuff, Tom (@tcinla). You can't say enough about the guys that do this.
Wow. That’s courage.
It's dreadful to see all the devisation on our news bulletins this side of the pond, Tom, and hear of some fatalities as well. I hope you and yours remain safe and well, and of course, hats off to everyone trying to get, and keep, things under control.
Tom,
I do hope you and the felines in the house are well and safe. I also hope California gets its forestry management and water reserves in order so this does not happen again.
I met some firebombers in Canada, and yes they have a quiet courage to do what they do.
I will keep you in my prayers
Bruce
It's not water reserves that is the problem, regardless of who says what - who hasn't been here. The problem was and is an urban water system never designed to meet the water demands of fighting four major fires simultaneously. The problem is the bad luck of the first day being the worst winds I have ever seen, which prevented the aerial firefighters getting airborne (you can't fly in 65mph winds, gusting 85-100mph). Thus the fire had 24 hours to run rampant before it could be fought, and nobody is ever going to catch up in that situation. Once the Palisades was hit like it was, they cut power to keep sparks from damaged homes and power lines from starting new fires, which clobbered the water pumps, leading to no water pressure. As far as the "beautiful clean water from Northern California" is concerned, Southern California doesn't get its water from Northern California, and there is no way to transfer water from the Central Valley system to southern California. We get our water from the eastern Sierra through the Southern California aqueduct. And there is no shortage of water. Don't pay attention to the determined-to-be-an-i d i o t who knows nothing about what he speaks, but blathers on because he doesn't know to do otherwise.
Well said and completely agree.
To be honest once fire takes, it has a weather system of its own Tom. They are all doing a brilliant job with what they have and I hope it's over soon. I'm going to send the link to an exe herc pilot oppo to see what he says. The turbulence must be off the scale looking at the control inputs😳❤️
These guys do an amazing job, Tom!
Keeping you in my prayers for the fires.
Really amazing what those guys are doing, Tom @tcinla
Some REALLY nice flying down low. Especially in an a BIG airplane like that with the GPWS bitching in your heads the whole time. A whole lot easier doing that in an A-10.
Glad they were able to put prevent the fire from crossing over the hills into Encino. Where I live here in SoCal...In past six years we have had two major fires causing evacuation which we did not heed, nad two minor fires that just messed up the pool with ash. I have attached a video of air drop behind my house during one of those fires.