Helicopter bucket

Helicopter bucket is a specialized container suspended on a cable carried by a helicopter to deliver water for aerial firefighting. Each bucket has a release valve on the bottom which is controlled by the helicopter crew. When the helicopter is in position, the crew releases the water to extinguish or suppress the wildfire below. Buckets can range in capacity from about 65 to 2,600 US gallons (250 to 10,000 liters).

Design and Operation

Helicopter buckets, also known as Bambi Buckets after the Canadian company SEI Industries' trademarked product, are designed to dip into water sources such as lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or portable water tanks to fill the bucket and then drop the water onto a fire. The bucket is filled by submerging it into the water source while the helicopter hovers over it. Once filled, the bucket is flown to the fire and the water is released.

The release valve is controlled by the helicopter crew through a control line. When the crew triggers the release, the bottom of the bucket opens and the water is dropped onto the fire. The bucket can be refilled and used again as long as there is a water source available.

Types of Helicopter Buckets

There are two main types of helicopter buckets: collapsible and rigid.

Collapsible buckets are made of flexible materials and can be folded or rolled up for transport. They are typically lighter and easier to handle than rigid buckets.

Rigid buckets are made of hard materials and maintain their shape at all times. They are typically more durable and can carry more water than collapsible buckets, but they are also heavier and more difficult to transport.

Use in Aerial Firefighting

Helicopter buckets are a crucial tool in aerial firefighting. They allow firefighters to reach fires in remote or inaccessible areas and deliver large quantities of water in a short period of time. They are particularly effective in fighting wildfires, where they can be used to create a wet line to slow the spread of the fire or to cool hot spots to prevent flare-ups.

See Also

• Aerial firefighting
• Wildfire suppression
• SEI Industries
• Firefighting equipment