On August 22, the day it was declared A major fire in the Madrid town of Tres Cantos which mobilized up to 18 firefighters from the Community of Madrid, was also widely commented on online due to the recklessness of some “spectators” who They got too close to where a helicopter went to refill water.
This summer season has had a lower incidence in terms of forest firessince between June 24 and August 11, 16,687 hectares were burned, compared to the average of 34,358 hectares over the last decade, although the virulence and intensity of some of them have attracted attention and, among them, there are the images captured by a soldier and professional photographer.
Among the extinguishing means used are aerial extinguishing means, composed of seaplanes and helicopterswho throw water on the flames to smother them.
Aerial extinguishing means are considered a fundamental element of fire control and extinguishinga measure that consists of recharging water in the most suitable places, such as marshes, lakes or swimming pools.
Firefighting helicopters
That’s why a helicopter When fighting a fire, you can take water from any tank if necessary. which is considered suitable for its operation.
That’s to say, They will be able to draw water from any suitable location for their fire-fighting actions.such as reservoirs, lakes or wells, as well as any swimming pool, both public and private.
- You should know that this is a completely legal maneuver and so you have to allow it
- You must leave the pool to find you in it
- You should ensure, if possible, that all elements likely to be affected by the action of the helicopter (umbrellas, deckchairs, chairs, etc.) are located in a safe place and preferably under a roof and protected from the wind that the helicopter can produce.
Dangerous Moments
Looking back on the sad fire of Tres Cantos, social networks described dangerous moments these water collection operationsdangerous for people who get too close to these charging times.
During these reloading maneuvers in the city of Madrid, a man could be seen lying on the grass “sunbathing” on the edge of a pond where a helicopter was reloading to fight the fire. Neither small nor lazy, The man remains in this pose a few meters from the aerial vehicle.
The video, made and published on the social network ceci.
What you should never do
The author of the video posted his warning comments in a thread on the “Things You Should Never Do While a Helicopter is Loading Water act during a fire (and even more so if it occurs in a confined space such as a lake, swimming pool, etc.).
Beatriz commented in one of her posts and replies about what how delicate and dangerous these maneuvers areby writing that “The amazing thing is that people don’t realize. The skill and maximum concentration of the pilot are essential, the flying objects Due to the strength of the machine, they cannot be controlled. Better to go away and let them work“.
🧵 Things you should ❌ NEVER do while 🚁 helicopters are loading water to respond to a fire🔥:
(And even more so if it is in a confined space like a lake, swimming pool, etc.):1. Lie in the sun or take a dip by the lake #IFTresCantos pic.twitter.com/N5lIEK7HoB
– Beatriz M. Blancas (@Beatrizxy) August 23, 2024
Helicopters load water from water sources located near the fires to control them from the air. A maneuver that involves a certain danger, also for those around him, which is why the photographer begins to provide explanations to raise awareness of what not to do in these situations and the precautions to take with four simple and logical warnings:
1. Lie in the sun or take a dip by the lake.
2. Take risks for yourself and your children by approaching the charging station… In the background you will see the “Smurfs” jumping (in reference to some children who were gesticulating).
2. Risk yourself and your children by approaching the charging station…🚁💦
In the background you will see the Smurfs jumping 😵💫You should NEVER distract a pilot in maneuvers like this, plus branches and anything in his range can fly away 🤕 pic.twitter.com/MqwnU955K0
– Beatriz M. Blancas (@Beatrizxy) August 23, 2024
3. A pilot should never be distracted during such maneuvers; moreover, branches and anything within his range of action can fly away.
As a fourth tip, Blancas gives a final indication of what yes you should do it:
4. Move away from the loading area for your safety. It’s more dangerous than you think.
Finally, the military insists “on the risk there is in getting involved in the kitchen during the helicopter water loading maneuvers”, and adds, for the curious: In my case I use a 100-500 lens and flight headsets.“, away from the water loading area.
I would like to stress the risk of entering the “kitchen” during water loading operations by helicopter.
For the curious:
In my case I use a 100-500 lens and flight headsets.#SafetyFirst #IFTresCantos @112cmadrid #ASEM112 @AT_Brif #INFOMA pic.twitter.com/W23JZkFcK5– Beatriz M. Blancas (@Beatrizxy) August 29, 2024
