WildfiresDoNotCareWhoGaveTensOfThousands
ToWhomVille
Even, it would appear, when it really matters and the game is for real.
The following is the lede of piece by Josh Duncan in Kamloops Now:
The owner of the (Mars waterbomber) tanker, Wayne Coulson, posted a statement to Facebook late on Sunday night saying that Coulson Aviation has offered support.
“On Saturday, we offered the B.C. Government our available aircraft and have heard nothing back as of tonight,” the statement said. “We have offered two Sikorsky S-61 heavy-lift helicopters, each with a 4000 litre capacity and one S-76 command and control helicopter that was in Australia this Spring and is approved to fight fire at night with our Night Vision Goggle capability....
What's it really all about this time Alfie?
Well, unlike at least one of the BC Liberals go-to aviation companies, Mr. Coulson both kicked up a fuss and refused to pay awhile back. As a result Coulson and Co. were essentially shut out of the firefighting business in British Columbia.
Laila Yuile laid it all out in a piece three summers ago:
...(I)t was the spring of 2013 when the owner of the Coulson group came out
strongly against the BC Liberals prior to the election, and the poor
Liberal forest policies that impacted small communities all over the
province...
Meanwhile...
...(Competing aviation co.) Conair has donated exclusively to the BC Liberals since 2005, with
one donation in the spring to the BCNDP when it appeared they may win the last election (in 2013)...
Go figure.
______
Jane Doe has more, on the Twittmachine.
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Monday, July 10, 2017
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15 comments:
There are a lot of folks really cheesed about the bomber not being called for. Kudos to CBC radio who this evening extensively talked with Wayne Coulson who was very diplomatic when asked why he thought the Province had not asked for the plane. Also kudos to Vancouver Island Chek news that also brought the subject up in great detail. Once again Mr. Coulson was extremely diplomatic on the obvious question.
This plane is one of two that had been used for decades by the province when owned by a consortium of forest companies. From what Mr. Coulson said, the plane has been used in Washington state, Oregon, California and Mexico, also in Australia, with a probability of going to Argentina. Not only do they have the plane but also heavy lift helicopters with crews and support experienced in massive fires across the world. And the pay to play crowd in Victoria have the front to say the plane is to old and ineffective for modern forest fire fighting.!? Eff off!!!
Just wondering if the now go to flying fire service have any say in who gets what contract based on the size of the donation, and probably doesn’t help that the Alberni Valley has an excellent NDP MLA.
Apologies for the rant but I am absolutely maddened at these appalling people that have sidelined this valuable asset.
No need to apologize Keith.
Thanks for the input about the other news services.
As the Kamloops Now piece and Mr. Coulson's facebook post show this is not just about the Mars fortresses (which are being used as a red herring by the usual suspects given that the BCL gov't pushed them out of service such that they are not now currently flying). There are other much more hightech, night useable craft that Mr. Coulson has available.
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This going away Govt is like a deranged rabid animal! the people running it can not be healed or trained they have to be rid of
Please...we desperately need a "serious corruption inquiry" into the past 15 years of governance in this province. The jail cells are waiting. Without any form of accountability, this form of "nepotism by donation" will continue to be manipulated by those, as in the case of the BC Liberals, who serve only a select few and themselves. If you do not hold theses "clowns" to account in the courts, for the " manipulation of taxpayer funds", the past 15 years, of blogging and getting to the truth , beyond what little the MSM has done, has been a waste of time.
Order the military to procure the aircraft and services if necessary. This is an emergency situation.
I remember the Barriere fire north of Kamloops in 2003. I remember driving past what appeared to be a small fire the morning of the day it started and watching a lone helicopter working it with a tea bag, and thinking to myself that the powers that be better get on this fast before the afternoon winds pickup because of the heat. The next day it was totally out of control and the disaster that unfolded after was devastating. I was in Barriere, still intact, after a Kamloops radio station had declared it burned out.
The sad fact of this debacle is that it could have been avoided if better decisions had been made.
If the Martin Mars water bomber had been brought to this fire could it have been controlled and extinguished the day it started. The Mars, and there were two of them at this time, could have run off of Bonaparte Lake. This lake was about 10 minutes fling time to the fire. Both of these aircraft working this fire could have had it down in mere hours. Contrary to what the BC Forest Service was trying to pass off at the time these aircraft were available could have been on the job within a few hours.
The Forest service is now saying that smaller aircraft that carry 800us gallons of water are going to do a better job than an aircraft (the Marin Mars) that carries 7200us gallons. So, these smaller aircraft with 800 gallons that will have to do 7 drops to the fire are better than one drop of 7200 gallons. I have watched Marin Mars work a fire and one huge drop covering about four acres is a lot more effective that a drop that will barely cool a house fire.
With the BC interior burning with no relief in site the use of all assets available would the prudent way to go. Pay to play, or in this case fight fires, sure rings true for the banana republic we call BC.
The difference is spitting on a fire or throwing a bucket of water on it ,,,not hard to figure out which will work better...YOU HAVE TO DONATE TO THE LIEBERAL PARTY IF YOU WANT A GOVT'CONTRACT IN THIS PROVINCE ,,,period
Current KML Wildfire Data
Then go to 'Current Fire Polygons - Outlined'
It is a simple question and answer situation,
if your house is threatened by wild fire what do you want to see coming over the tree tops, a helicopter and bucket or the Martin Mars?
Please, let's stop talking about the Martin Mars. She was a fine plane in her day, and in some situations (say an emerging fire in the Okanagan valley, with access to a big lake without a lot of hills around) it makes sense to bring her back, but in general we don't fight fires like that anymore. Moreover, she's old and breaks on the regular - Coulson has two Mars and they're having to cannabilize one to keep the other in the air. To AnonAbove, if I was on the ground fighting fires, I would rather have a helicopter come over the hill, because if the Mars was about to drop I would be running for my life.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/ian-andrew-bell/martin-mars_b_7765744.html
The ConAir contract is another kettle of fish. Let's hear it for the NDP plan to get rid of big donors! Once that's done, I'm in favour of letting the firefighting professionals decide what kinds of resources they hire. My guess is that ConAir will still get hired, because they have useful tools. My guess is that Coulson will also get hired because they also have useful tools.
But the Martin Mars is not the answer to the Interior fires.
SH @ davemj
This Government is behaving like an ex lover-stalker who can't take rejection…they bargain, pretend to change, tell their victim what they want to hear -- then, when their tricks are exhausted it gets ugly...
A. 12:26, I want the Martin Mars water bombers. No need to even think about it. I have seen them work. I've seen them in Port Alberni scooping water out of the lake. Its an amazing machine. Oh, well what hasn't been burnt to the ground by 18 July, will most likely be visited by a Mars water bomber shortly there after.
Keith, thank you for the "rant" saves me from typing it.
that bitch would rather have the province burn to the ground before she would have the Martin Mars water bombers used, unless there is a huge hew and cry from the public as there was a few years ago.
By refusing to use the water bombers one could conclude the current Premier is allowing a condition to exist and people's homes, livestock, and property to be destroyed. wonder how the photo op queen and her cabal would feel about a personal class action law suit filed against them. it isn't as if they don't know about the Mars water bombers or that they aren't available. All those other countries use them, except ya, their home province.
I think I ranted after all.
Anon-A-Couple-Above has a point.
And the Mars WB's are being used as a red herring by the usual suspects.
The issue is who gets contracts and who gets shut out.
Please note, again, that in his Book of Faces thingy that started this Mr. Coulson specifically mentioned other equipment he has/could have available that the current regime has shown no interest in.
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Apparently Christy said "Mars water bomber. Why do we want to water bomb Mars?"
Anon-Above--
Ha!
Good thing one of the wizards didn't put her in touch with Mr. E. Musk about the matter...
Can you just imagine the cost of that boondoggle?
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12:26 pm, July 11, 2017
Anonymous Anonymous said. But the Martin Mars is not the answer to the Interior fires.
I watched the Mars work on the Greenstone fire just above Kamloops a few years back and it did a very good job. I watched it turn inside a Cl 415 that was trying to out flank it and go down to Coony Bay and pick up a load of water.
These guys that fly this thing know what they are doing. The only reason its not being used is they have not kisses the right asses and most people know this.
By the way I am a pilot with a current licence and have flown in the interior for that past 40 plus years.
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