Jones Fire: A look inside the Super Scooper planes dropping 6,000 gallons of water

MESA, Ariz. - Fighting and understanding wildfires, like the Jones Fire, isn't just something that's done on the ground but also in the air through Super Scoopers that release water and aircraft that map the fire. 

What we know:

Bridger Aerospace is using the aircraft for the wildfire in Wickenburg. So, how does it work? The water goes through a probe, takes about 10 to 12 seconds to scoop up the water, and— when they're ready to release it, goes through a door. This whole process takes about 10 minutes.

"When we head over to the fire, when we're ready to drop, we use this button," Scott Blue, the captain of the CL-215T Super Scooper, said. "It's entirely up to the fire officials. We're directed on where to drop the water, and we try to get it exactly where they want it every time," he said.

But factors like the fire's smoke and wind make a difference. 

"If the wind is coming from the left-hand side, we're going to stagger the plane a little bit more to the left so when the water comes out, it drifts to the right. Vice versa. Of course, forward and back depending on a headwind versus a tailwind," Blue said.

Local perspective:

For the Jones Fire, Blue says they had clearance to drop the water. 

"Made sure that the area was completely clear of anybody, and, of course, it's in a city, so you're watching out for power lines and anything like that," he said.

The tanks that hold the water hold 1,400 gallons. He said so far, they've released 6,000 gallons in Wickenburg. When they drop the water, it's at least 150 feet above the fire. 

"It's half on the flames, and half on the green, or the burnt area right beside the flames, to kind of slow down the spread of it and then knock down the fire itself," Blue said. 

Dig deeper:

To map out the fire, Bridger Aerospace has a multi-mission aircraft that uses advanced sensors and cameras that let them zoom in. 

"It was a complex fire, so being able to come in with our multi-mission aircraft to be able to livestream down to incident commanders on the ground and firefighters on the ground really showed them what they were dealing with," Mel Holtz, Bridger Aerospace vice president of business development, said.

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Holtz says they can also map out hotspots and perimeters of the fire. 

"If any hotspots have crossed a containment line, then we can immediately dispatch out firefighters on the ground to put those hotspots out before they become larger," Holtz said.

What they're saying:

Putting out fires is a job Blue says is rewarding. "We love our jobs. We love helping. We just want to lend a hand fighting any wildland fires," he said.

Big picture view:

Blue said he usually goes to about 50 wildfires during wildfire season, and he says they can stay there for up to two weeks.