Government acquires modern planes to fight forest fires
With the acquisition of three Air Tractor firefighting aircraft, the government has significantly strengthened Chile’s capacity to tackle wildfires. In a ceremony at the Tobalaba Aerodrome, government representatives also unveiled eight new 4×4 vehicles that will provide communication links between command posts and firefighters in the field.
The announcement was made today in a presentation by Agriculture Minister Carlos Furche, Undersecretary of the Interior Mahmud Aleuy and the Executive Director of the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), Aarón Cavieres. One of the new aircraft was also on display at the aerodrome.
Minister Furche noted that although wildfires are common in Chile and climatic conditions–particularly the drought–have made controlling them more difficult, the government will continue working hard to combat wildfires over the coming years.
“I want to reiterate, because it is sometimes forgotten, that CONAF is on the same side as the firefighters. The majority of wildfires in Chile are caused by humans, either through carelessness, negligence or intentionally, and what CONAF does, with the support of the National Emergency Office, the Fire Service, and the regional governments, is try to minimize the impact of these fires,” he explained.
The Agriculture Minister added that the new firefighting equipment was included in President Bachelet’s first annual budget. “In the 2015 budget, strengthening our capacity to combat wildfires has been made an immediate priority,” he said.
Meanwhile, according to the Interior Undersecretary, “In order to carry out the work that needs to be done in any type of disaster, every institution within the civil protection system must be properly equipped, not just in terms of human personnel but also equipment, so that things can be done better.”
He added, “I am hoping to liaise with other state institutions, particularly the armed forces, to establish a plan for the future so that we have first-line, fully prepared brigades rather than a third line, as we do today.”
According to CONAF Executive Director Aarón Cavieres, “This equipment represents a significant reinforcement to our mission of protecting the population and our country’s renewable natural resources. This is an advance in terms of modernizing our firefighting technology.”
New equipment and seasonal fire report
The government has acquired three Air Tractor 802Fs at a total cost of US$ 8 million. These U.S.-manufactured aircraft will join CONAF’s current fleet of three Dromader aircraft and one Sokol helicopter.
The Air Tractor is known for its maneuverability, making it ideal for Chile’s rugged geography. It has a cruising speed of 300 km/hour which means it can be rapidly deployed throughout mainland Chile, and a tank capacity of 3,100 liters of water or fire retardant.
The eight 4×4 vehicles (US$ 332,000) are equipped with VHF and HF radio as well as mobile and satellite Internet and telephone communications. This will allow command posts to quickly establish contact with firefighting brigades working at several frontline locations.
Regarding the 2014-2015 wildfire season, the figures were similar to last year’s. As of the end of April, 6,636 incidents had been registered, almost half of which were in the Biobío Region, and the total area affected during the period was 105,889 hectares. This compares to 6,254 fires and 105,893 hectares affected in the 2013-2014 season.