Amazing footage has been shared on social media which shows a firefighting plane scooping up water from the Pacific Ocean to douse flames from the nearby fire in Pacific Palisades.
Amid reports that fire hydrants have run dry, and as crews continual to batter the apocalyptic fires which are devouring the city, firefighters are turning to a vast natural resource, the ocean.
The footage shows an air tanker collecting water from the Pacific Ocean, near Will Rogers State Beach.
Governor Gavin Newsom told CNN on Wednesday that the county had “depleted all of our resources,” and that fire hydrants were completely tapped. “Those hydrants are typical for two or three fires, maybe one fire. And then you have something at this scale.”
Water dropped from aircraft has been credited in helping fire crews take control in the Hollywood Hills and Studio City, Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass told media. Much of the devastation that has occurred was due to grounding of those aircraft on Tuesday due to high winds.
Why isn’t sea water commonly used to fight fires?
But sea water usage comes with a high price – and that’s why it’s not typically used by firefighters on land. Firstly its corrosive properties can damage critical equipment in fire fighting places.
According to Technology.org, salt can also reduce the cooling effect of water, meaning salt water can be less efficient as a firefighting tool. Salt water also carries a charge better than fresh water, making it slightly more dangerous for firefighters.
Then there’s the affects of salt water on the wider environment – seeping into the ground, killing remaining vegetation or contaminating fresh water supplies. Salt can make an ecosystem completely barren for many years. That’s because the salt makes water less available to plants due to osmosis.
Pilot shares experience of water bombing fires in LA
“When we get ready to drop water, you see civilians that are trying to run away, and essentially save their own lives,” Pascal Duclos, the head pilot of Quebec’s aerial service tasked with supporting the USA firefighters with water planes, told CBC News. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
As part of a 31-year-old agreement with the state of California, Quebec sends two Canadian-made CL-415 firefighting planes to the area each Autumn. Duclos arrived in California on Christmas Day.
For each water plane used for bombing fires, there is one lead pilot and a co-pilot as well as a backup crew in case someone gets sick or fatigued.
In addition to population density leading to multiple aircraft operating in the same area, Duclos told media that the aggressive winds have made flying a challenge.
“It makes the fire move extremely quickly. Here, the vegetation is extremely dry. It burns rapidly. So it leads to really extreme turbulence.”
Justin Trudeau – current Canadian PM – shared this footage on X, with a pithy caption no doubt poking fun at the current state of the relationship between him and the USA president elect.
Neighbours helping neighbors. 🇨🇦🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/qRuEsu31T0— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 9, 2025
The death toll from wildfires in Los Angeles has risen to 10, with (at the time of writing) five wildfires currently burning in the city area, the largest being Palisades fire at 19,978 acres and being only 6 per cent contained. As of this morning (10 January 2025) officials say Eaton fire is 13,690 acres and 0 per ent contained; Kenneth fire is 1000 acres and 35 per cent contained; Hurst fire is 771 acres and 37 per cent contained; and Lidia fire is 348 acres and 60 per cent contained.
Main image courtesy of Fire Photo Girl on X.
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