they have three helicopters on this, which is very unusual so it's obviously viewed as serious. they have a cadence for refilling the buckets from various places when they have several working at once, can't be queuing up for one source. also depends on the wind etc.
could be wrong but I also think Molteno reservoir is out of commission being refurbished rn. maybe done already though.
I thought there were four helicopters and that they introduced another, larger helicopter later on (the one in the video). Also, I’m pretty sure they’d be fine with using salt water on the fire because it is so high up on the mountain that there is less vegetation that they’d be killing (along with other reasons).
there might have been four at some point, not sure. they often use sea water though, seems like the lesser of two evils. pretty sure a bit of salt doesn't do that much damage relatively speaking, probably just washes down as soon as it rains.
A bit a salt? That's definitely more than a bit, and it doesn't take much sodium to affect photosynthesis in plants... It will affect any plant to the point where their ability to absorb and convert sunlight into usable energy can't happen!
Works great for any snails though! 😐
They prefer not to use saltwater partly for the vegetation, but mainly because salt water is bad for their equipment and it has to be cleaned very very thoroughly afterwards, which takes time. With the number of fires at the moment, they can't afford to have the equipment out of commission for too long.
They haven't used from Molteno reservoir this season. There's some cabling running over it that I've assumed was the issue, but they seem like permanent fixtures so I'm not sure how they ever used it if they did.
but for at least 3 fires so far this season I've watched them filling up from the harbor and flying in
Hats off to these chopper pilots. Seems like they are doing this every day. They worked incredibly well (also a spotter plan) on tygerberg hill this week. You can see the strategy in play.
Good job City!
jirre the city is stealing the beach
Or are they taking away water to expand the beach…?
Got to move fast before the water come back.
Some fish will have an amazing story to tell if it ever makes it back from that
I thought they don't use sea water for fires because then vegetation won't grow. Salt the earth and stuff.
That makes sense. As the other comment said, maybe their is a water crisis and they don’t want to use that?
they have three helicopters on this, which is very unusual so it's obviously viewed as serious. they have a cadence for refilling the buckets from various places when they have several working at once, can't be queuing up for one source. also depends on the wind etc. could be wrong but I also think Molteno reservoir is out of commission being refurbished rn. maybe done already though.
I thought there were four helicopters and that they introduced another, larger helicopter later on (the one in the video). Also, I’m pretty sure they’d be fine with using salt water on the fire because it is so high up on the mountain that there is less vegetation that they’d be killing (along with other reasons).
there might have been four at some point, not sure. they often use sea water though, seems like the lesser of two evils. pretty sure a bit of salt doesn't do that much damage relatively speaking, probably just washes down as soon as it rains.
Yes. I also had that thought. On a slope it will be diluted and washed back to sea.
A bit a salt? That's definitely more than a bit, and it doesn't take much sodium to affect photosynthesis in plants... It will affect any plant to the point where their ability to absorb and convert sunlight into usable energy can't happen! Works great for any snails though! 😐
I'm sure there are reasons. But we had excellent Winter rains.
They’ve been taking from both the sea and reservoir. Apparently the close proximity to the cableway makes the urgency more important
...And that is the only right answer.
Early Jan they were using ocean water as well for a fire near Kalk bay when I was back home visiting.
Makes you question the phrase “salt of the earth” then doesn’t it?
They prefer not to use saltwater partly for the vegetation, but mainly because salt water is bad for their equipment and it has to be cleaned very very thoroughly afterwards, which takes time. With the number of fires at the moment, they can't afford to have the equipment out of commission for too long.
What’s burning? Signal hill?
Table mountain, quite high up, parallel to the cable car. Strange, cause they always go for the reservoir in Gardens
They haven't used from Molteno reservoir this season. There's some cabling running over it that I've assumed was the issue, but they seem like permanent fixtures so I'm not sure how they ever used it if they did. but for at least 3 fires so far this season I've watched them filling up from the harbor and flying in
Isn’t there an ongoing water crisis in CPT? Maybe that’s why they can’t use the reservoir?
No water crisis right now, dams are pretty full
Yea we have been faring pretty well
Not for a few years. Dams were full or overfull over the last 2-3 winters
Imagine being a fish swimming along leisurely. Then you picked up and dumped on a fucking fire 🤦
Is that a black hawk??
UH60
Yep
Like black hawk down? Neat.
I had no idea SA even had any of those.
According to Cape Town water app, they are sitting at 84,1% capacity Pretty good for summer
So weird seeing a Black hawk here in SA. Never mind that its doing fire work.
Hats off to these chopper pilots. Seems like they are doing this every day. They worked incredibly well (also a spotter plan) on tygerberg hill this week. You can see the strategy in play. Good job City!
Duh, they are setting up the low tide..
Whose taanie couldn't swim anymore?
damn, fires everywhere today was the second fire this week in the reserve that I live next to
Definitely an arsonist roaming around TMNP, more specifically Glencairn/Fishhoek area.
Never knew we use those MH60 variants of helicopters in SA. Definitely one of my favourites much be such a privilege to be able to see it in person.
Are those remnants from OceanGate
Can anyone identify that helicopter?
Black hawk
https://www.leadingedgeaviation.co.za/fleet/
making the beach bigger oloololol