Get to Know the ‘Super Scooper’ Airplanes Fighting Wildfires in Colorado

Get to know the ‘Super Scooper’ airplanes fighting wildfires in Colorado

They look like airplanes a child might build with Legos or scribble with red and yellow crayons. They are boxy and potbellied, maybe because they are basically flying boats with really long wings. Their cartoon-worthy name — Super Scoopers — belies their serious mission as aerial firefighters. As these Super Scoopers have been swooping onto Blue Mesa Reservoir this week to skim up tank loads of water, they have become the darlings of selfie-grab…

Colorado wildfires: Firefighters gain containment on 4 still-spreading Western Slope fires

Containment on the five wildfires burning across Colorado’s Western Slope continues to grow, fire officials said Sunday. The four still-spreading wildfires in western Colorado have largely slowed as firefighters increase containment around their borders and weekend rainstorms increase humidity. Multiple fires saw overnight containment increases or are expected to see jumps in containment throughout the day Sunday, according to fire officials. Th…

Firefighting Aircraft Draw Water from Lake Powell - The Independent | Southern Utah's #1 Source for Arts, Events & Entertainment

Due to nearby wildfires, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area has announced active fire response operations that will temporarily impact visitor activity on Lake Powell. Fixed-wing Super Scoopers—amphibious firefighting aircraft—will be using sections of the lake between buoys 43 and 49 to draw water for fire suppression. To support these emergency efforts, Glen Canyon rangers are providing vessel assistance on the lake, and a temporary flight r…