Single-engine air tankers assist ground fire crews

fire fighters got some help from above saving hundreds of homes. joe bartels- continues our team fire watch coverage-- with a look at the small planes- that made all the difference. two 13 hundred horse power single engine air tankers — or seats-- sit at the sierra blanca airport near ruidoso waiting for the call. "they expect us to be airborne within 15 minutes." the call came in around 2-30 thursday for the swallow fire about 8 miles away. "we could see the smoke. it looked like it was probably in town. a lot of cocerns a lot of worries." pilots suited up, ground crews filled up and in less than 10 minutes-- the planes were en route. hundreds of gallons of minute thumbnail 10:06 pm fire retardant began raining down on the fire line. "our primary goal, like all fire fighters is protection of lives and property. and one of our biggest goals is to support those guys on the ground because they’re the ones that will to the actualy puttig out of the fire." the seats can carry as much as 800 gallons of retardant. with cock pit controls, pilots have pin point accuracy, and can decide how much is droped in one pass. "when what you need something that can be there quick and you need some precision type work, particularily when you have personnel and ajoining structures that you need to try and avoid the seat is a little more of a surgical tool." the seats have been placed at a number of airports around new mexico and can provide air support anywhere in the sta within minutes. in ruidoso joe bartels kob eyewitness news four. minute thumbnail 10:07 pm the seats have actually evolved from

Channel: ClipSyndicate Video Length: 0s Date Found: Sun, Jun 19 2011 11:43 AM Category: News Date Produced: Sun, Jun 19 2011 12:05 AM View Count: 0