- Author
- Grigel, J. E.
- Title
- Air Drop Tests With Fire-Trol 100 and Phos-Chek 205 Fire Retardants.
- Coporate
- Northern Forest Research Center, Edmonton, Canada
- Report
- Information Repot NOR-X-8, November 1971, 45 p.
- Keywords
- fire retardants | Phos-Chek (tradename) | fire suppression | forest fires | wildland fires | air tankers | clay | ground fires
- Identifiers
- Fire-Trol 100, a slurry, is manufactured by Chemonics Industries Limited, Kamloops, B.C.; Phos-Chek 205, a viscous retardant solution, is manufactured by Monsanto Canada Limited, Vancouver, B.C.
- Abstract
- Fire-Trol 100 and Phos-Chek 205 long-term fire retardants were dropped by a Thrush Commander airtanker onto three sites: 1) an open field; 2) a lodgepole pine stand; and 3) a white spruce-aspen stand. The twenty 310-gallon loads were calibrated and ground distribution patterns drawn. On each site, there were no important differences between the drop patterns of Fire-Trol and Phos-Chek, although the drop patterns of both retardants differed between drop sites. In the open area, 82% of the Fire-Trol and 83% of the Phos-Chek loads was recovered on the ground; in the lodgepole pine stand 29% and 28%, and in the white spruce-aspen stand 40% and 33% was recovered respectively. Sixty-six per cent (66%) of the Fire-Trol was retained by the lodgepole pine tree canopy compared to 67% for Phos-Chek. However, Phos-Chek coated more aerial and ground fuel surface area than did Fire-Trol, a result of the gum-thickener versus clay-thickener. At the .04" retardant application rate (2.1 imperial gal/100 sq. ft.), the Thrush Commander airtanker builds 95 feet of ground fire-line in the open, 35 feet in the lodgepole pine stand and 55 feet in the white spruce-aspen stand to a minimum width of 10 ft. The tests indicate the Thrush Commander has limited capability as an 'airtanker'.