Why is there not more support for the Texas fires?

[gekko man]

When I see news coverage of the California wild fires, I see air support.

When I was driving home from Drpping Springs yesterday, I saw no air support and I have not seen any for the other fires.

Set me straight if I am wrong....

Here is a link to information of previous coverage of wild fires.

http://www.ng.mil/news/archives/2011/04/041811-wildfires.aspx

Is it because, "Were Texas"?

[nando]

I thought there was air support.

[flywise]

those air resources are limited and stretched to the limit currently.
I would guess that you didn't see any because they are all focusing on Bastrop fife currently

[Stoof]

Air resources have come in from as far away as S. Dakota

[RickH78]

Im guessing in Cali they do get a lot more air support, a lot more mountains to cover. Hard to get trucks to some areas.

[Tommyh]

firefighting air frames are getting fewer and farther between as well. the fleet is aging and not being replaced.

[twistedmidnite]

we have teams up here in avinger from as far away as alabama helping with the fire, we had a bad fire a few weeks ago that the air support came out on but i have yet to see onethis time...

[gekko man]

I thought there was air support.

I hope so...I know that the fires in Palo Pinto county got some air support but the big DC 10's got diverted twice.

I guess we should rename Texas the Golden Lone Star State.

I feel horrible for the people that have lost homes, animals and everything they have accumulated over a life time!

May God Bless these folks and all of the fire fighters and first responders that fight these fires.

[dcbrown]

The wind has a lot to do with how much air support you see.

[Kingslayer]

Rick Perry made a statement asking anyone with an aircraft for help with the fires... We do have the biggest Army base right here in Texas...Whats big brother waiting on ???? We could use some of that tax-payer air support... Anytime Now!!!!!!

[JeffJ]

Check out the pics on statesman.com

Lots of air support on the Bastrop fire. The Spicewood/Pedernales fire is mostly ground support and relativley under control as of this morning.

[Tommyh]

Rick Perry made a statement asking anyone with an aircraft for help with the fires... We do have the biggest Army base right here in Texas...Whats big brother waiting on ???? We could use some of that tax-payer air support... Anytime Now!!!!!!

training and gear may be an issue with this from attack wings, id think.

[cosmiccowboy]

I know air support was used in the Bexar County fire yesterday, I personally saw air support (a giant water dropping helicopter) on another fire here about 10 days ago, and heard on the radio about hundreds of air support missions flown on the Bastrop fire. One problem they have everywhere is that a lot of stock tanks have dried up and they have to go a long way to find water to refill...

[flywise]

Rick Perry made a statement asking anyone with an aircraft for help with the fires... We do have the biggest Army base right here in Texas...Whats big brother waiting on ???? We could use some of that tax-payer air support... Anytime Now!!!!!!

I just wonder how he thinks anyone with a plane could help?
Sure can't put water in them and most of these fires have a TFR(temp. flight restrictions) over them so as not to have conflicts between firefighting aircraft and civilian aircraft

[SARSpecialist]

Look at the daily briefing.. scroll down to where you see resource staging.. Air Assets are used on a priority basis.. The State Incident commander and his General Staff work with local Incident command to determine the most need. Life Safety comes first, the Fires with the biggest life safety issue will get Air Ops depending on the request made.

The Helo assets working our Fires were pulled yesterday to go to other fires...

ftp://ftp.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/sitr...2009062011.pdf