Firebombing

Firebombing has been an important wildfire suppression technique in forest fire fighting in Victoria since 1967.
This introductory article comes from a 1987 paper by Athol Hodgson for The Fireman.
The complete paper is available here, and extracts from the article are provided below.
See also this article.

"The first trials of using aircraft to attack fires in Australia were conducted in Victoria in 1939 when brine solution was dropped in cartons. Further trials were conducted in Victoria in 1946/47 using military aircraft to drop chemicals in metal tanks which were designed to burst on impact."

"In 1958, NSW fire authorities trialled a Tiger Moth crop duster to drop water on grassfires and sodium calcium borate on grass fires burning beneath low open scrub. The results were not encouraging although the NSW Fire Control Officer at the time, (H.R. Luke), commented that the technique could not be discounted."

"In 1964, the FCV experimented with dropping water thickened with bentonite clay from a Ceres aircraft. This was followed in 1965 using a Piper Pawnee to drop chemical retardant. The work included lighting experimental fires which were allowed to burn into the "footprint". It established that chemical retardant concentrations of 0.25 to 1.5 litres per square metre could be applied to ground fuel through a forest canopy and that it stopped a fire burning with an intensity of approximately 600 KW/m. These results were encouraging enough for the FCV to establish a fully operational firebombing system."

"The first recorded instance of the operational use of aircraft to attack a wildfire in Australia was in 1967 when two Piper Pawnees dropped chemical fire retardant on a small fire in remote mountain country near Benambra in north-eastern Victoria."

"In 1970 (the paper says "1971" but the FCV Annual Report for 1969/70 indicates the correct year was 1970) a larger aircraft, a Twin Otter from Canada, was tested at Snowy Range, and then in 1981/82 and 1982/83 a RAAF C130 Hercules fitted with MAFFS was extensively trialled."

"In the 20 years since that event the technique has been developed to the stage where the current Victorian forest fire service (Department of Conservation, Forest and Lands) frequently uses agricultural aircraft to drop chemical retardants on fires in remote forests, and helicopters to drop water or chemical retardants to support ground crews working on wildfires."

 
vfh0224ed

Benambra Firebombing Base
1968
Source: B Rees

vfh0103ed

FCV Retardant Trial at Ballarat with Ceres Aircraft. (l to r) Athol Hodgson, Val Cleary, Ted Gill
1964
Source: B Rees

vfh0105ed

Twin Otter Drop Trials - Snowy Range
1971
Source: B Rees

vfh0095ed

RAAF C130 Hercules with MAFFS at Mt Hickey
8/2/1982
Source: B Rees

Athol Hodgson

Athol graduated from the VSF in 1950 and then worked for the FCV until the mid-1980’s. His key roles in the FCV were as Fire Research Officer, the first officer appointed as OIC of the new Forest Environment and Recreation Branch from 1971, and as a Forests Commissioner.

After the roles of the FCV were absorbed into Conservation, Forests and Lands (CFL) he became the Chief Fire Officer of CFL, and in that role he was a CFA Board Member from 1985 to 1987.

In 1966 a Churchill Fellowship allowed him to study fire management in North America, and he came home to implement many new programs that would profoundly change Victoria’s approach to fire management.

He founded Forest Fire Victoria Inc in 2004, and has maintained a very active interest in fire management issues since leaving the public sector.

Athol was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2012 for his contributions in the field of emergency management.

Athol Hodgson

Athol graduated from the VSF in 1950 and then worked for the FCV until the mid-1980’s. His key roles in the FCV were as Fire Research Officer, the first officer appointed as OIC of the new Forest Environment and Recreation Branch from 1971, and as a Forests Commissioner.

After the roles of the FCV were absorbed into Conservation, Forests and Lands (CFL) he became the Chief Fire Officer of CFL, and in that role he was a CFA Board Member from 1985 to 1987.

In 1966 a Churchill Fellowship allowed him to study fire management in North America, and he came home to implement many new programs that would profoundly change Victoria’s approach to fire management.

He founded Forest Fire Victoria Inc in 2004, and has maintained a very active interest in fire management issues since leaving the public sector.

Athol was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2012 for his contributions in the field of emergency management.