France deployed an Australian-leased heavy water-bombing helicopter for the first time on Friday, August 14, in the Landes department to battle a wildfire that has already scorched 1,300 hectares, according to reports. The aircraft, a dual-rotor Chinook CH-47D, dropped 11,300 litres of water in a single pass above thick plumes of smoke near the evacuated village of Luglon, as journalists from Agence France-Presse confirmed on the ground. The deployment occurs as emergency services operate across the Landes de Gascogne forest massif.
Operating under an agreement with the Australian state that runs through the end of September, the red-and-white super scooper was showcased to the press on Thursday at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base 118 in the presence of Australia’s ambassador, the Landes prefecture stated. The Chinook carries nearly twice the water volume of a Canadair aircraft, which holds more than 6,000 litres. Prefecture officials explained that the heavy lift helicopter can refill its internal tanks in one minute and thirty seconds by suction from a water source, and is capable of operating during both day and night.
Deployment and Tactical Operations in the Landes
Emergency crews coordinated the Chinook alongside a secondary Australian-leased aircraft, a Bell 412 helicopter capable of carrying 1,800 litres of water, which served to guide the larger machine onto its targets. A civil protection helicopter also joined the formation. According to the prefecture, the aerial response on Thursday involved eight additional aircraft: two Dash planes carrying up to 10,000 litres of chemical retardant, four Canadair water-bombers, and two Air Tractor planes carrying roughly 3,000 litres each.
The fire advanced close to residential areas in Luglon, prompting overnight evacuations for local residents. According to the Landes departmental prefect Gilles Clavreul, no homes have burned so far, with the fire stopped roughly ten meters from residential properties on the opposite side of a departmental road. AFP reporters noted that smoking embers remained across blackened pine plots as daylight broke on Friday.
Regional Wildfire Context and Fleet Capabilities
The Chinook CH-47D is a version of the heavy transport aircraft used by the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Its payload capacity allows for high-volume water drops over forest canopies.
Local authorities have maintained evacuation orders across sectors of the Landes de Gascogne massif.
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