Two CL-415 firefighting aircrafts known as 'Super Scoopers' are at the Lake Tahoe Airport this weekend as monsoon weather conditions in the area are possible in the coming days.
Although they are not expected to stay long, these national firefighting resources are under contract with the USDA Forest Service and are pre-positioned at the airport near South Lake Tahoe this weekend during monsoon conditions which typically bring large amounts of lightning into the Lake Tahoe area.
The CL-415 water scooper aircraft are typically used during initial attack (IA) on wildfires and can carry up to 1,620 gallons of water.
The tanks take approximately 12 seconds to fill during a skim over a lake surface.
In an average mission of six nautical miles distance from water to wildfire, the CL-415 can complete nine drops within an hour delivering 14,589 gallons of water.
CL-415 water scoopers obtain water from pre-screened bodies of water located near wildfires.
Permission to use the water body is obtained in advance and safety issues are coordinated prior to using a particular body of water.
