WATCH: Cal Fire Safety Video Shows Dangers Of Aerial Drops On Wildfires
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection took to YouTube last week to answer a burning question — what kind of damage can an aerial drop of fire retardant cause?
In the video, the team drops 9,000 pounds of fire retardant from a Grumman S2-T Airtanker on top of an SUV, causing the roof and trunk to collapse under the weight.
"Imagine what could happen under a low drop out of a VLAT that can drop up to 170,000 pounds," the narrator says in the video. "That's around the wight of over six Type 3 fire engines falling from the sky."
Cal Fire posted the video to show the dangers of being around a fire zone when large quantities of fire retardant is being used to fight wildfires.
"A well executed air drop is supposed to rain down to be safe and effective," the narrator says in the video.
Watch the full video below.
