FIREBOMBERS! (cover story)

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    • Subject Terms:
      HISTORY of aeronautics; FIREFIGHTING; CHEMICAL systems for firefighting; FIREFIGHTING equipment; WILDFIRES; HISTORY
    • Abstract:
      The article discusses the history of firebombers, aerial firefighters which assist ground firefighters in controlling wildfires. The first successful use of an airplane was a converted 1939 Boeing 75 used by Willows Flying Service, which released 170 gallons of water in Mendocino National Forest in 1955. Topics include the 1954 Operation Firestop, a multi-agency collaborative effort to develop effective ways to battle wildfires in California; adding chemicals to water to avoid evaporation; and the motion picture "Always" featuring firebombers.