Western Australia’s DFES fleet completes busiest aerial firefighting season yet
With high-risk bushfire conditions prevalent outside the traditional months, aircraft were activated early in October 2023 and extended to early May 2024
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ (DFES’) aerial firefighting fleet has completed its longest and busiest season yet, dropping more than 17 million liters of water and retardant on firegrounds and keeping Western Australians safe for a record period of seven months.
During the 2023/24 bushfire season, the aerial fleet flew more than 2,300 hours across 208 incidents and conducted a record 7,025 drops from October to May, almost doubling the number of drops recorded in the 2022/23 season.
Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm AFSM said aircraft were deployed from Karratha to Esperance and were a critical component of the state’s firefighting efforts.
“Firefighting aircraft supported our crews on the ground for around seven months, a record for Western Australia which reflects the increased risk of large, complex bushfires that can put the community at risk,” he said.
The aerial fleet comprises 36 rotary and fixed-wing suppression and aerial intelligence aircraft and is managed by DFES along with Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
Firefighting aircraft deployed during the season included Bell 214 and Black Hawk Helitaks and several fixed-wing aircraft including large airtankers (LATs).
The LATs are used to fight larger fires, often in complex terrain. They flew for a total of 114 hours during the season and dropped more than 1.3 million liters of water on fires.
The Bell 214 Helitaks were the most prolific aircraft, often seen flying over fires in and around Perth and Western Australia’s southwest. They flew for 830 hours and dropped more than 10.2 million liters of water, while the bigger Black Hawk helicopters flew for 265 hours and dropped almost 5.9 million liters.
The most intensive months for aerial firefighting were December, January and March.
In 2022–23, the fleet logged more than 1,400 hours of flight time and completed 3,579 drops, totaling 10.3 million liters across the state.
Chloe Fox
Chloe Fox is an Senior Editorial Assistant for Voyageur Group, joining in 2024. She writes for AirMed&Rescue and ITIJ, covering a range of topics including international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision, and air medical transportation. Chloe holds a BA (Hons) in English and an MA in English Literature from the University of Bristol.