Aerial firefighting, also known as waterbombing, is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing aircraft, or rappelling from helicopters. Chemicals used to fight fires may include water, water enhancers such as foams and gels, and specially formulated fire retardants such as Phos-Chek.
A DC-10 Tanker operated by a private contractor for the U.S. Forest Service demonstrates a water drop during "Thunder Over The Empire Air Fest" at March Air Reserve Base, Calif. (2012)
A Neptune Aviation Lockheed P2V drops fire retardant at Pine Mountain, Oregon. (2014)
State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS) Mil Mi-8MTV picking up water near Nizhyn
Kaman K-Max K-1200 used for aerial firefighting in Idaho
Wildfire suppression is a range of firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts depend on many factors such as the available fuel, the local atmospheric conditions, the features of the terrain, and the size of the wildfire. Because of this wildfire suppression in wild land areas usually requires different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated areas. Working in conjunction with specially designed aerial firefighting aircraft, fire engines, tools, firefighting foams, fire retardants, and using various firefighting techniques, wildfire-trained crews work to suppress flames, construct fire lines, and extinguish flames and areas of heat in order to protect resources and natural wilderness. Wildfire suppression also addresses the issues of the wildland–urban interface, where populated areas border with wild land areas.
A wildfire suppression operation in Washington, United States in 2002. Methods here include fire retardant drops and the bulldozing of firebreaks.
Lava flow on the coastal plain of Kīlauea, on the island of Hawaii, generated this wildfire.
Fire retardant dispersed aerially onto brush adjoining a firebreak to contain the Tumbleweed Fire in California, in July 2021
A helicopter dips its bucket into a pool before dropping the water on a wildfire close to Naples, Italy.