From left, Bruce MacLean, Forest Protection Ltd. Bird Dog pilot; Ken Cox, Department of Natural Resources air attack officer; Gaetan Fournier, pilot team lead, Forest Protection Ltd.; and Kerry MacLean, Department of Natural Resources air attack officer, in Debert last week (Province of Nova Scotia)
Nova Scotia’s newly contracted fleet of fixed-wing water bombers has now responded to its first wildfire.
The Department of Natural Resources says the province’s four new Air Tractor 802 air tankers, bird dog aircraft and a DNR helicopter were all deployed Wednesday to help battle a wildfire near Port L’Hebert in Queens County.
The fire was estimated at about 7.5 hectares and is now under control.
According to the province, the aircraft worked alongside DNR firefighters and three volunteer fire departments during the response.
“The new planes worked very well in conjunction with the helicopter, ground crews and volunteer fire departments,” the department said in a statement provided to our newsroom.
Officials say the aircraft helped slow the spread of the fire, allowing crews on the ground to continue extinguishing hotspots.
The wildfire was first reported Wednesday afternoon and at one point was listed as out of control before crews managed to contain it later in the evening.
The response came just days after the province officially unveiled the new fleet of fixed-wing water bombers for the wildfire season.
The province recently signed a contract for four Air Tractor AT-802 water bombers and a Cessna Caravan bird dog aircraft to support wildfire response efforts across Nova Scotia.
