Aerial firefighting leader grows as demand increases for modernized wildfire approach
Dauntless Air, an aerial firefighting company deeply dedicated to protecting people, land and property from the devastation of wildfires, today announced it has added two AT-802F Fire Boss aircraft to its fleet. The addition brings the company’s total owned and operated aircraft to 13 Fire Bosses and one wheeled AT-802F aircraft. Each Dauntless aircraft features leading firefighting technology that makes it a highly effective initial attack tool in the war against wildfires.
Brett L’Esperance, CEO, Dauntless Air, commented, “We have added two more Fire Bosses to our fleet in direct response to the growing demand for a modernized approach to aerial firefighting. In states like Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Minnesota we’re seeing that a technology-enabled network of economical initial attack aircraft on the front lines can better contain fires, keeping threats small and reducing associated devastation. By giving ground crews the aerial support they need to put out blazes more efficiently, shorter suppression missions free up valuable funds and allow resources to be funneled back into forest health initiatives that reduce the wildfire threat not just for a single season, but for decades to come.”
Washington state has proven what’s possible when you commit to a strategy targeted to attack fires when they are small. The state leads firefighting efforts with smaller, cost-effective assets like Fire Bosses, and state-owned type 3 helicopters. Leveraging these assets across the state since 2016, Washington’s initial attack strategy has kept more than 92% of all wildfires below 10 acres.
Due to their size, cost and capability, Fire Bosses and other smaller aerial assets can be widely distributed and positioned at small regional air bases closer to fire-prone areas in the wildland-urban interface. The aircraft’s 800-gallon capacity allows the Dauntless Fire Boss to operate in closer proximity to firefighters on the ground and complete precise and continuous drops that cool the fire environment, helping to reduce the danger and challenge faced by wildland firefighters working to protect the public from an intensifying wildfire threat.
Earlier this week at the Annual Meeting of the National Association of States Foresters (NASF), two Dauntless Fire Bosses were showcased completing numerous scoops and drops for an audience of approximately 200 senior-level decision makers who drive the nation’s forest management, urban forestry, and wildland fire management activities. For more on this year’s NASF meeting, click here.
“The solution to today’s intensifying wildfire threat doesn’t live with any one company or type of aircraft, but rather in a broad industry commitment to implement a progressive wildfire response strategy that aggressively attacks fires and keeps them small,” said L’Esperance. “Reducing the dollars spent on wildfire suppression efforts will enable savings to be funneled back into fuel management tactics that create healthier forests that are less prone to megafires from the start. At Dauntless, we are committed to making this vision a reality.”
For more information on the Dauntless Fire Boss fleet, visit: www.dauntlessair.com/our-fleet/
