"DAY" Fire

[RobertW]

Here are some pictures of the USFS' new arsenal that has been working the "Day" fire near Pyramid Lake.  The Cobra has proven to be an ideal platform for the StarSAFIRE III and the crew is able to relay essential information for fire attack coordination. A second Forest Service Cobra is currently being assembled at Fort Drum, New York.

This baby is equipped with FLIR (Foward Looking Infared).  It is very powerful, has good "lift" and can fly just about anywhere in anykind of conditions.   What a mean looking machine!

[Wrightwood]

[lagomorphmom]

Report for yesterday:

Report for Day as of Sep 27, 2006
(Wildland Fire Incident)Area: 148,884 acres (4% increase from yesterday)
Location: Ventura county, CA - SW of Pyramid Lake @ Piru Creek
Cause: Human
Team Type: 1
Team Leader: M.Dietrich and G. Custer
42.0% Contained
Fuels: Heavy Mixed Brush With Scattered Timber.

Wildman, couldn't they have picked somebody else besides G. Custer???

[Wildman]

Interesting name.  There are two Type 1 Incident Managment Teams running the Day Fire because of the immensity of the thing.  It very well could burn until the first heavy rains.

RobertW-the AH-1 Cobra converted to a fire management ship is pretty cool.  (I coordinated a big press effort on the Millard Complex about the ships) There are currently two ships flying in the state.  They have multiple missions.  They can perform as the Air Attack or Helco (helicopter coordinator) on a fire and then provide live information for the incident commander in his command post.  They are both equipped with a Forward Looking Infrared Radar which can see the fire through the smoke.  They also have a laser designator that can pinpoint a gps location 16,000 meters away.  They also have a state of the are color TV camera system that is better then most TV stations.  They can provide the Incident Commander with real time video and FLIR and direct the cameras where the IC wishes more information on.  It saved lives on the Millard Complex when it blew up and helped the IC make the decision to pull the troops out.  Keen ships. 

[RobertW]

Thanks Wildman for all the info.  They are definately Cool Ships!

[dreamcatcher]

Quote by Wildman:  Interesting name.

Day after day after day after day....

[Wrightwood]

Helicopter Battling California's Day Fire Crashes
Story by kcra.com

A helicopter helping fight Southern California's Day fire crashed on Sunday.

Officials said the chopper's two pilots were treated for minor injuries and released from a local hospital.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Meanwhile, officials said the Day fire, which started on Labor Day, is nearly 87 percent contained and will be fully surrounded on Monday.

The blaze has burned more than 162,000 acres in the Los Padres and Angeles national forests, and is the fifth biggest in the state's history.