2023News

Air Force quenches forest fires from the air

Listin Diario reports that special Air Force units are at work intensively to reduce the effects of fire and smoke in these drought times.

Multiple fires attributed to the drought, arson and ignorance have forced special units of the Dominican Air Force to be constantly in the air. The Air Force says that they are working with two new helicopters that are fitted with Bambi Buckets to reduce the effects of the fire and the smoke. These fire-fighting devices have capacity for 1,300 liters of water.

Listín Diario reports that numerous forest and landfill fires have been registered in the last months in different regions of the country.

In recent days, intense columns of smoke covered yesterday the community of Villa Altagracia, which has been experiencing a fire in its municipal landfill for a few weeks.

The Air Force has carried out intense and complicated firefighting work for weeks, with the Valle Nuevo fire in Constanza, the largest so far this year.

According to Air Force Public Relations officer, Colonel As Henríquez Taveras, the firefighting helicopters have a crew of two pilots, a maintenance technician and an observer. The latter is the one who indicates to the pilot where to position the aircraft so that the water discharge is at the precise point.

“On many occasions we are only required to carry forest rangers who are the ones who will attack the fire from the ground, sometimes, depending on the magnitude, control is easier from there. Sometimes the presence of the Air Force aircraft is not even required,” explained Henríquez.

The recent operations are carried out in two of the six BELL UH-1H-HUEY II helicopters from the United States, acquired by the institution through the so-called “Operation Phoenix.”

Henríquez said the multiple fires are normal in drought season. The period from January to the end of April is known in the country is the high seasons for forest fires. Sometimes, these fires reach a great magnitude or are inaccessible by land.

“This is normal in our country every year,” the pilot colonel indicated. “On a larger or smaller scale, there are always forest fires or we always have a burning landfill that does not cease to be a nuisance and a cause of many diseases due to the landfill smoke,” he added.

The Ministry of Environment reported that for several days the National Environmental Protection Service (SENPA) has been pursuing those responsible for starting fires in various parts of the country. Numerous sectors have expressed their support for the adoption of more drastic measures against persons who are determined to have caused forest fires.

Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
Diario Libre

29 March 2023