Summary of Aerial Fire Fighting in Ukraine

Sergiy Zibtsev Head, Regional Eastern European Fire Monitoring Center

(REEFMC) National University of Life and Environment Sciences of

Ukraine, Kiev sergiy.zibtsev@nubip.edu.ua

Global Fire Monitoring

Center

National University of Life and

Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Regional Eastern European Fire

Monitoring Center

State Agency of Forest Resources

of Ukraine

Overview

• Ukraine and its fire prone forests

• Wildfires in Ukraine

• Use of fire aviation for patrolling

• Use of fire aviation for fighting fires

Ukraine and its capital

Polissa

Carpathians

Crimea

Fire prone forests of Ukraine

• Forests of Ukraine - 9.6 million ha

• Fire-prone Scotch pine forests in dry regions (250-350 mm)

• Crimean pine forests in semi-Mediterranean climate

2 million ha of pine forests

Wildfires in Ukraine

• On average in Ukraine up to 3,000 to 6,000 wildfires occurred annually affecting areas up to 4,000 to 10,000 ha

• During droughts larger wildfire events occurred with burned areas per single event up to 8,000 ha

• Aerial firefighting assets are particularly required to respond to such large fires

Aerial observation of forests fires in Ukraine

• Aerial patrolling of forests is performed by the Ukrainian State Base of Aviation Fire Management of the State Agency of Forest Resources of Ukraine

• Up to 111 persons of staff

• The Agency operates 6 MI-2 and 6 airplanes AN-2

Total time of patrolling in 2012

• by helicopters - 2000 hours

• fixed-wing aircraft - over 1336 hours

• The costs for renting

• MI-2 - US$ 1000 per hour

• AN-2 – US$ 765 per hour

Routes of helicopter patrolling in Crimean

peninsula

Fire patrolling

Aerial firefighting in Ukraine Responsibility of the Department of Aviation, Aviation Search

and Rescue of State Emergency Service of Ukraine Includes: • command group • meteorological service • flights control group • two squadrons of special services (airplanes and helicopters) • engineering and aviation service • rescue and paratrooper service • aircraft maintenance and logistics group • group for airfield services and flight support • automated control systems

Conditions for use of fire aviation in Ukraine

• Fire aviation can be called when an area of wildfire exceeds 25 to 50 ha or when there is high risk of uncontrolled fire

• When emergency situation declared by Government, the aerial means are dispatched within two hours to the airport closest to the wildfire event

• The distance between wildfire location and the airport during firefighting operation should not exceed 150 km

• For aerial firefighting in Ukraine the fixed-wing AN-32P (Antonov Corporation, Ukraine) and helicopters Mi-8MT are designated, based at a special airport in Chernigov region

• Totally in Ukraine up to 70 specialists related to fire aviation are on 24 hours duty

Polissa

Carpathians

Crimea

Fire aviation preparedness

• During fire seasons helicopters on call strategically located in regions with high fire hazard and could start firefighting operation within 20-30 minutes

• Mostly water uses for aerial firefighting

• MI-8MT can deliver 3-5 tons per drop.

• Forest fire aviation forces of Ukraine conduct firefighting all over Ukraine and have been deployed to missions abroad (Turkey, Russia, Greece, Portugal)

Ukrainian Air Tanker AN-32P (Antonov Corporation)

The An-32P can bring up to 8000 kg of extinguishing fluid or delivering 28 firefighters and up to 10 packs of 100 kg fire equipment

Drop of 8000 t water from 40-50 m with speed 240 - 260 km/h create a spot with water concentration more 1 l/m2 with 120 - 160

long і 10 - 35 m wide

Scheme of flight mission to extinguish forest fires using the An-32P

Fire attacks using the An-32P in Crimea

Horizontal fly

H=100 m, V = 120 km/h

H=40-30 m, V=120 km/h

Water uptake H=30-40 m

Increasing height H= 60-100 m V- 60-100 km/h

Water drop

Approach wildfire area

Airport

V- 80 km/h Н= 50-100 m

Water reservoir

Water uptake Н=30 m

Maneuver for water drop

Water reservoir

Wildfire area

Fire extinguishing Mi-8MT with VZP-5

Fire extinguishing by Mi-8MT with VZP-5 (2007)

Tactics and radio connection during operation

Conclusion and Needs for development of fire aviation in

Ukraine

• Role of fire aviation in Ukraine in future will increase due ti increasing of fire severity

• Efficiency of fire aviation could be improved if direct suppression will be applied

• Pilots training needs to be improved (indirect fighting)

• Improvement communication with interagency ground forces

• Needs for use of aviation for fire fighting in Chernobyl exclusion zone

Chernobyl zone Ukraine, 26 April 1986

137Cs,

kBq/m2

Fukushima 1 Japan, 11 March 2011

IRSN, 2011

Problem of contaminated fires around failed Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

Thanks for attention!

Global Fire Monitoring

Center

National University of Life and

Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

Regional Eastern European Fire

Monitoring Center

Crimean Mountains Wildfire, July 2012