The MLA for La Verendrye is calling for the NDP government to strengthen our province's wildfire response strategy.
Konrad Narth, who is the Progressive Conservative critic for Transportation and Infrastructure says our province really needs to consider buying some smaller aircraft, while we wait for our new water bombers to arrive.
The Manitoba government recently paid an $80 million down payment for three new large water bombers. Narth says he welcomes this news of expanding our fleet of water bombers in Manitoba. However, he says these water bombers will not be operational until 2032. That means we may need to fight six wildfire seasons before they ever arrive.
In the meantime, Narth says our province should consider investing in the AT-802 Fire Boss. Portage Aircraft Specialties, located just east of Portage la Prairie, is Canada's exclusive distributor for Air Tractor. Narth says the AT-802 Fire Boss is an 820-gallon aerial firefighter used across Canada, including 14 operated by the Northwest Territories government and dozens more from coast to coast.
Narth refers to this as a great opportunity.
"It's an aircraft that's able to fight fires exactly in the same way that the large, twin-engine water bombers are able to, but yet at a fraction of the size, fraction of the cost, a lot faster, more agile, more powerful," suggests Narth.
Narth says the large, twin-engine water bombers cost approximately $40 million U.S. apiece. By comparison, the Fire Boss costs $7 million per plane. While the water bombers are expected to take seven years to arrive, Narth says we could be using a Fire Boss within 14 months.
He says the Fire Boss is a fraction of the cost, plus, he says with the water bombers being in U.S. currency, we have no idea what the exchange rate will be seven years from now.
Narth stresses though that he is not suggesting the Fire Boss should replace the water bomber, noting that the water bomber can hold 1600 gallons of water, while the Fire Boss has a capacity of 820 gallons.
"So, I'm welcoming that we're ordering three additional twin-engine water bombers to renew the fleet of Manitoba suppression equipment, but I think we should seriously be looking at the Fire Boss as an option to add to the fleet for Manitoba," he says.
Narth guesses that Manitoba will see larger fire threats year after year and says the Fire Boss is exactly the type of plane that is needed. He notes these smaller planes can either be filled on the ground or dipped into smaller bodies of water like rivers and ponds.
According to the Progressive Conservatives, these planes can also take off from smaller runways and airports. And, equipped with a Canadian-made Pratt and Whitney engine, with 1600 horsepower, they can stay airborne for up to three hours for repetitive fire drops without refuelling. He notes they are an ideal asset for rapidly attacking wildfires in their early stages and can be strategically placed throughout the province.
"They are able to be mobilized in two minutes or less," adds Narth. "So, when there is a report of a fire, this plane is able to be up in the air immediately."
Narth says Portage Aircraft Specialties has reached out to our province to demonstrate this option. Narth is hoping to have a meeting with both Premier Wab Kinew and Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor to discuss this further.
He notes Manitoba currently has three water bombers but says it is important to remember that as these aircraft age, they will eventually be brought out of service. Therefore, purchasing three new water bombers for 2032 does not necessarily mean we will then have a fleet of six.