Awesome Wild Fire Video

[68X426]

My "backyard" is wilderness - my county is filled up with Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest. And it's on fire right now, named the Rim Fire. Over 11,000 acres of wilderness, closing roads and entry to Yosemite (from the north). Cal Fire is flying lots of bombers in because the terrain is wild and steep. They have posted video of the retardant drops they perform and here's a link to one of them.

MAFFS in the title refers to the Modular Airborne FireFighting System or MAFFS, the self-contained unit used for aerial firefighting that is loaded onto a C-130 Hercules. Look for a great action shot in the video at about 1:30, on the right side, the shadow of the plane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQhPUVgBE14

[burnout.dawg]

I have four fires burning in my backyard. The result of a lightening storm that passed through here Saturday evening. About 5 miles SW of me is the biggest and scariest.

Lolo Complex fires spread to 3,500 acres quickly, burn homes http://m.helenair.com/news/local/state-and-regional/lolo-complex-fires-spread-to-acres-quickly-burn-homes/article_d968964c-0960-11e3-909a-001a4bcf887a.html

This fire is now at 7000 acres.

Hopefully your wildfire will remain in wilderness areas and away from homes.

[68X426]

What? No one has watched the video? (and commented). It's a great action flight from the cockpit as they drop retardant on some wild mountains.

Hope someone enjoys it.

[1BAD68]

"landing gear... landing gear..." is that because of altitude?

[bull]

"landing gear... landing gear..." is that because of altitude?

I don't know but after hearing it about 40 times I'd be jabbing a screwdriver through that little speaker.

It's not surprising they used a woman's voice for that warning though. Nag, nag, nag!

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Traffic!  Terrain!  Landing Gear!

[68X426]

"landing gear... landing gear..." is that because of altitude?

My understanding is that the plane's safety features cannot be turned off. And here they are flying at tree top level, so it's nothing but danger.

Makes you wonder what the Korean pilots heard (or didn't hear) on that San Francisco crash.

There are two other videos of the same fire fight, and you hear a man's (robot) voice repeating "terrain, terrain" when the "landing gear" voice stops. These planes are just 100 feet off the ground, jumbo jets on flying ridge peaks at stall speed into smoke.

[charger Downunder]

It brings back memories of this one from Australia. Saving a Mopar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zORATGVKgZA

[John_Kunkel]

My understanding is that the plane's safety features cannot be turned off.

Every aircraft I've dealt with has a breaker, problem is too many people forget to reset it. 

[Fred]

I see on the news that the fires are still burning out of control. Hope they can get on top of the situation soon.

[Fred]

It brings back memories of this one from Australia. Saving a Mopar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zORATGVKgZA

I remember that. Was glad it all worked out for the best.

[Budnicks]

What? No one has watched the video? (and commented). It's a great action flight from the cockpit as they drop retardant on some wild mountains.

Hope someone enjoys it.

I watched it again.... Saw it on the channel 13 news the other night... it's been really smoky  , as you well know I'm sure, since you only live a few miles from me, especially in the morning around my house anyway... something like 100,000+ acres now, glad it's still 50 miles away... I hope everyone stays safe, especially the Cal Fire boys... my neighbors are Forestry Service on one side & a Fish & Game Warden on the other side, been keeping me pretty well updated....

[Budnicks]

125,000 acres now only 5% contained 

[Fred]

Mother Nature......lacking compassion.

[Bob T]

Stay safe Dan &  burnout dawg . Man, they were close to that upper ridge!

I did firefighting training for a marine course two weeks ago, got a huge amount of respect for professional firefighters , that stuff is alive and means business