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Prayers from the Texas South Plains. Very sad news indeed when a city has to be evacuated.
My small South Plains farm was threatened by a large grass fire several years ago. The fire burned down two farm houses as it headed for my farm. It burned to within a mile of my place before being brought under control.
As an American I have to ask those in Canada if they think the federal government is doing all they can to help extinguish/contain this growing fire? I have been paying a lot of attention to this event and I am greatly disappointed that the U.S. isn't providing any sort of aid with the exception of volunteers though I can understand if Prime Minister Trudeau has to request aid first though hasn't the time come to ask? I see that Mexican and New Zealand firefighters are involved and I ask myself why isn't the U.S. helping as we have resources such as planes, helicopters and firefighting equipment just sitting around throughout the country that could come to much use.
Since this fire will continue to grow as no rain is in the forecast for Fort McMurray in the end the U.S. could and probably should provide relief to firefighters in Alberta by containing if not extinguishing the other 54 ongoing forest fires plus helping with evacuations.
As an American I have to ask those in Canada if they think the federal government is doing all they can to help extinguish/contain this growing fire? I have been paying a lot of attention to this event and I am greatly disappointed that the U.S. isn't providing any sort of aid with the exception of volunteers though I can understand if Prime Minister Trudeau has to request aid first though hasn't the time come to ask? I see that Mexican and New Zealand firefighters are involved and I ask myself why isn't the U.S. helping as we have resources such as planes, helicopters and firefighting equipment just sitting around throughout the country that could come to much use.
Since this fire will continue to grow as no rain is in the forecast for Fort McMurray in the end the U.S. could and probably should provide relief to firefighters in Alberta by containing if not extinguishing the other 54 ongoing forest fires plus helping with evacuations.
The fires cover such a huge area, that the best they can do is to try to save populated areas. That's basically what they did... Many firefighters hunkered down to save specific neighbourhoods that were directly threatened by the fire. They saved most of the downtown, which was right in fire's path.
I think it would be impossible to totally extinguish forest fires of this size. There just are not enough water bombers in existence probably.
This one in Fort McMurray flared up unexpectedly because of a flukey change in the weather temperature on May 3 (an "inversion"). There wouldn't have been any way to prepare for that. They can't possibly keep hundreds of firefighters on standby every time there's a wildfire in Canada. There are multiple wildfires burning in other spots around western Canada right now. British Columbia couldn't spare any firefighters or equipment for Alberta due to their own precarious situation with their own wildfire threat.
They did an amazing job with evacuating the city as it was. 88,000 residents safely relocated with little warning, that's an incredible achievement. Things could've been so much worse. The evacuees might not feel lucky, but they certainly are. They're still alive.
I read somewhere that Russian aircraft wouldn't meet Canada's standards for air worthiness or safety. So it's questionable how much "help" they would really be. I'm picturing 50 year old crop dusters tossing water balloons out of their cockpit...
I read somewhere that Russian aircraft wouldn't meet Canada's standards for air worthiness or safety. So it's questionable how much "help" they would really be. I'm picturing 50 year old crop dusters tossing water balloons out of their cockpit...
jesus. No point in bringing politics into this and being ungrateful. There is zero difference between Russian help and American help.
Standards? Those old jets are good enough to wipe out Canada within days.
I read somewhere that Russian aircraft wouldn't meet Canada's standards for air worthiness or safety. So it's questionable how much "help" they would really be. I'm picturing 50 year old crop dusters tossing water balloons out of their cockpit...
The offer involves sending converted Ilyushin Il-76 transport planes -- the kind occasionally leased by the Canadian military -- that can dump as much as "42 tons of fire retardant into fire spots,"
I read somewhere that Russian aircraft wouldn't meet Canada's standards for air worthiness or safety. So it's questionable how much "help" they would really be. I'm picturing 50 year old crop dusters tossing water balloons out of their cockpit...
It depends on the aircraft type and carrier. I can tell you confidently that there are Ilyushin type aircraft that have been approved to operate in Canada and do so quite regularly. The Ilyushin-76 operates at Pearson semi-regularly and yes has been granted a Canadian Tranportation Agency licence (still valid) along with Transport Canada F-AOC - Foreign Air Operator's Certificate. It wouldn't be granted such approvals if it didn't meet air worthiness or safety requirements.
On a side note - Antonov Design Bureau (Ukrainian but built when it was a part of the Soviet Bloc) An-124 and even the largest aircraft in the world the An-224 also have operated in Canada and very recently.
Of course not sure if water bomber variant would apply but point being certain Russian aircraft and Carrier(s) operate in Canada quite regularly and the article I posted did refer to a converted IL-76 into a water bomber, so indeed that aircraft as a cargo variant does operate in Canada.
Here is a Volga-Dnepr Il-76 landing at Pearson (RWY 23) in 2010.. It has operated more recently as well (a few months ago) I watched it take off RWY 06L. Very cool aircraft!..
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