SACRAMENTO, CA – From McClellan Airport Sacramento, the Australian New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) team has announced that air tanker ‘Marie Bashir’ has completed her checks and calibration, marking her readiness for deployment during the US wildfire season.
This powerful Large Air Tanker (LAT) is poised to embark on a critical three-month mission to provide invaluable aerial assistance during the upcoming fire season on the west coast of the United States.
This is the third consecutive year that the NSW RFS has deployed the air tanker to support local assets during the US wildfire season.
Third Deployment of ‘Marie Bashir’
Dispatched from its home base at RAAF Richmond, Australia, on June 2, the ‘Marie Bashir’ will now provide support to US firefighting assets.
Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and operated by a highly skilled crew, this iconic Australian aircraft has already gained a reputation for its impressive firefighting capabilities.
The first leg of ‘Marie Bashir’s’ journey will take her to Pago Pago before reaching her layover destination in Hawaii for the night. The aircraft made its transpacific journey via Pago Pago, and will be stationed on the west coast.
It’s a huge sign of respect that our NSW firefighters are again being called upon to assist their international colleagues and now, for the third time, the RFS is providing one of the best tools in their aviation arsenal, to help to the agencies protecting US communities.
New South Wales Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib
Strengthening Global Firefighting Bonds
The deployment of ‘Marie Bashir’ underscores the strong bond between firefighting agencies across the globe. As fire seasons become longer and more intense, international cooperation becomes increasingly vital.
The NSW RFS, with its extensive experience in battling wildfires, has earned international recognition for its expertise in aerial firefighting.
On its three-month consignment in 2022, the ‘Marie Bashir’ operated from Boise, Idaho and provided support across 6 US states, including Idaho, California and Nevada. It dropped a total of over 1.2 million liters of fire retardant and was deployed against 37 fire incidents.
The presence of ‘Marie Bashir’ in the United States for a third successive year will bolster the firefighting capabilities of American counterparts as the US wildfire season approaches.
This three-month mission serves as a testament to the collaborative efforts of firefighting agencies across continents.