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so much for forward planning
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Guest
so much for forward planning
despite all the assurances that forest fire prevention was to be done, once again the authorities are now having to ask for help.....see bellow
Europeans send fire-fighting help to Portugal
August 21, 2005
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - France, Germany, Italy and Spain offered Portugal help to battle forest fires raging across the country on Sunday after Lisbon made a request to the EU's executive Commission, officials and local media said.
France said it had sent two specially equipped aircraft to Portugal.
A spokesman for the French Civil Safety unit said the two Canadair aircraft would be lent to the Portuguese for at least two days, with an extension depending on need in France which is also battling forest fires of its own.
"Yesterday evening we received an official request from the Portuguese government asking the Commission to help," Commission spokesman Rupert Krietemeyer said.
German's Interior Ministry said it would send three "Super Puma" police helicopters to arrive with up to 25 officers on Monday.
Two planes from Spain, which has also suffered forest fires and severe drought this year, started work in neighboring Portugal early on Sunday, state television reported.
Krietemeyer said Italy would also send a Canadair CL 415 water bombardier aircraft, the same model sent by France, later on Sunday. It was due to arrive in Portugal early on Monday.
About 2,700 firefighters were battling 35 fires on Sunday afternoon, a spokeswoman from Portugal's fire service said.
The European Commission has a unit that coordinates member states in emergencies to make sure countries that have specialist equipment and personnel are able to give help to others.
Portugal is suffering its worst drought on record. Fires have burned at least 134,500 hectares (337,000 acres) of forest, more than in all of 2004, according to forestry service estimates last week.
At least 13 people have died from fires this year, 10 of them firefighters, Lusa news agency said.
Europeans send fire-fighting help to Portugal
August 21, 2005
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - France, Germany, Italy and Spain offered Portugal help to battle forest fires raging across the country on Sunday after Lisbon made a request to the EU's executive Commission, officials and local media said.
France said it had sent two specially equipped aircraft to Portugal.
A spokesman for the French Civil Safety unit said the two Canadair aircraft would be lent to the Portuguese for at least two days, with an extension depending on need in France which is also battling forest fires of its own.
"Yesterday evening we received an official request from the Portuguese government asking the Commission to help," Commission spokesman Rupert Krietemeyer said.
German's Interior Ministry said it would send three "Super Puma" police helicopters to arrive with up to 25 officers on Monday.
Two planes from Spain, which has also suffered forest fires and severe drought this year, started work in neighboring Portugal early on Sunday, state television reported.
Krietemeyer said Italy would also send a Canadair CL 415 water bombardier aircraft, the same model sent by France, later on Sunday. It was due to arrive in Portugal early on Monday.
About 2,700 firefighters were battling 35 fires on Sunday afternoon, a spokeswoman from Portugal's fire service said.
The European Commission has a unit that coordinates member states in emergencies to make sure countries that have specialist equipment and personnel are able to give help to others.
Portugal is suffering its worst drought on record. Fires have burned at least 134,500 hectares (337,000 acres) of forest, more than in all of 2004, according to forestry service estimates last week.
At least 13 people have died from fires this year, 10 of them firefighters, Lusa news agency said.
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Guest
well heres all the gen about fire fighting planes...a few of these would have been a better investment that daft empty football stadiums....
Bombardier 415
It takes only 12 seconds, travelling at 130 km/h (70 knots) to scoop up the 6137-litre (1621-US gallon) water load. This requires an on-water distance of only 410 metres (1350 feet). The Bombardier 415 can scoop water from sites as shallow as 2 metres (6.5 feet) and 90 metres (300 feet) wide. This means that a great number of water sites can be used to reload its tanks. The aircraft doesn't need a completely straight scooping path. Since it's still in "flying" mode while scooping, the pilots can maneuver the Bombardier 415 around river bends or avoid visible obstacles in the water. As well, if the water site is too small for a full pick-up, the Bombardier 415 can take a partial load and return to the fire.
Scooping Speed: 130 km/hr (70 kts)
Scooping Time: 12 sec.
Water Volume Scooped: 6137 litre (1621 USG)
Water Mass Scooped: 6124 kg (13,500 lb)
Water Pickup Distance: 410 m (1350 ft)
Total Distance*: 1340 m (4400 ft)
*include descent from 15 m (50 ft) and climbout to 15 m (50 ft)
Aircraft in service in February 2000
CL-415 Firefighting Productivity
Based on various water to fire distances
Stat. miles Kilometers Mins/drop Drops/hour US gal/hr Litres/hr
0 0.0 2.0 30.0 48,600 184,100
1 1.6 2.7 22.3 36,072 136,649
2 3.2 3.4 17.7 28,679 108,643
3 4.8 4.1 14.7 23,801 90,163
4 6.4 4.8 12.6 20,341 77,057
5 8.0 5.5 11.0 17,759 67,277
6 9.7 6.2 9.7 15,759 59,759
7 11.3 6.9 8.7 14,164 53,657
8 12.9 7.6 7.9 12,862 48,725
9 14.5 8.3 7.3 11,779 44,623
10 16.1 8.9 6.7 10,865 41,158
11 17.7 9.6 6.2 10,082 38,193
12 19.3 10.3 5.8 9,404 35,626
13 20.9 11.0 5.4 8,812 33,383
14 22.5 11.7 5.1 8,290 31,405
15 24.1 12.4 4.8 7,862 29,648
16 25.7 13.1 4.6 7,412 26,665
17 27.4 13.8 4.3 7,039 26,665
18 29.0 14.5 4.1 6,702 25,388
19 30.6 15.2 3.9 6,396 24,228
20 32.2 15.9 3.8 6,116 23,169
25 40.2 19.4 3.1 5,019 19,014
Water tank size - 1,620 US gallons / 6,137 litres
All performance and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Bombardier 415
It takes only 12 seconds, travelling at 130 km/h (70 knots) to scoop up the 6137-litre (1621-US gallon) water load. This requires an on-water distance of only 410 metres (1350 feet). The Bombardier 415 can scoop water from sites as shallow as 2 metres (6.5 feet) and 90 metres (300 feet) wide. This means that a great number of water sites can be used to reload its tanks. The aircraft doesn't need a completely straight scooping path. Since it's still in "flying" mode while scooping, the pilots can maneuver the Bombardier 415 around river bends or avoid visible obstacles in the water. As well, if the water site is too small for a full pick-up, the Bombardier 415 can take a partial load and return to the fire.
Scooping Speed: 130 km/hr (70 kts)
Scooping Time: 12 sec.
Water Volume Scooped: 6137 litre (1621 USG)
Water Mass Scooped: 6124 kg (13,500 lb)
Water Pickup Distance: 410 m (1350 ft)
Total Distance*: 1340 m (4400 ft)
*include descent from 15 m (50 ft) and climbout to 15 m (50 ft)
Aircraft in service in February 2000
CL-415 Firefighting Productivity
Based on various water to fire distances
Stat. miles Kilometers Mins/drop Drops/hour US gal/hr Litres/hr
0 0.0 2.0 30.0 48,600 184,100
1 1.6 2.7 22.3 36,072 136,649
2 3.2 3.4 17.7 28,679 108,643
3 4.8 4.1 14.7 23,801 90,163
4 6.4 4.8 12.6 20,341 77,057
5 8.0 5.5 11.0 17,759 67,277
6 9.7 6.2 9.7 15,759 59,759
7 11.3 6.9 8.7 14,164 53,657
8 12.9 7.6 7.9 12,862 48,725
9 14.5 8.3 7.3 11,779 44,623
10 16.1 8.9 6.7 10,865 41,158
11 17.7 9.6 6.2 10,082 38,193
12 19.3 10.3 5.8 9,404 35,626
13 20.9 11.0 5.4 8,812 33,383
14 22.5 11.7 5.1 8,290 31,405
15 24.1 12.4 4.8 7,862 29,648
16 25.7 13.1 4.6 7,412 26,665
17 27.4 13.8 4.3 7,039 26,665
18 29.0 14.5 4.1 6,702 25,388
19 30.6 15.2 3.9 6,396 24,228
20 32.2 15.9 3.8 6,116 23,169
25 40.2 19.4 3.1 5,019 19,014
Water tank size - 1,620 US gallons / 6,137 litres
All performance and specifications are subject to change without notice.
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Guest