Malibu Blaze Tests Nerves, Firefighting Planes : Battle: Super Scoopers run into trouble, as strong winds force them to avoid low-flying water drops. But officials say they are pleased with the aircraft’s performance.

The much-heralded Super Scooper firefighting planes ran into trouble trying to battle the Malibu blaze Thursday, their first major test against the classic Southern California fire conditions of strong winds hurling flames over forbidding mountain slopes.

Still, fire officials said they were pleased with the planes’ performance.

“The 35 to 50 m.p.h. winds affected the dropping capabilities,” said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Steve Valenzuela. Because the winds and terrain made it difficult to fly close to the fire-ravaged slopes, the pilots “had to drop from a higher altitude, which ended up causing the water to turn into a finer mist before hitting the fire,” he said.

But Valenzuela maintained that the two planes were nonetheless effective at helping to contain the fire by dropping water during the blaze’s crucial early moments and working with the department’s seven water-dropping helicopters, which were able to fly lower and score more direct hits.

County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman added that the Super Scoopers were more effective than they might have appeared. From the ground, along Pacific Coast Highway, he watched one of the planes make a drop--and, at first, was startled to see the water appear to evaporate in the gusty winds.

“But as it dropped alongside and across PCH,” Freeman said, “it was like being in a downpour of rain, which tells you that although the water dropped may appear to dissipate, it still has a significant cooling and wetting effect on the ground.”

He added later: “I can tell you I’m pleased.”

In ideal conditions, the planes can drop water from 150 feet above the fire. But owing to Latigo Canyon’s steep terrain, the planes were often forced to fly 150 feet above ridge crests--while the fire burned 200 feet or more down the hill. That meant, Freeman said, that the water had to fall 350 to 400 feet before reaching the target.

One veteran firefighter on the scene, who asked that his name not be used, was unconvinced of the planes’ capabilities. The Super Scooper, he said, obviously has to fly high enough to clear the crest of the mountains; on a windy day like Thursday, from that altitude, that means the water can blow a quarter-mile to half-mile away from the target.

“We got some hellacious winds, but that’s what you’ve got with brush fires. It’s usually very windy,” he said.

The firefighter pointed to a helicopter as it dropped its load and created a giant puff of smoke as flames were extinguished. “You watch this helicopter, he can maneuver up, down and through this canyon--there, just like that.”

It was unclear Thursday night how many runs each of the Super Scoopers had made, but Freeman said there were at least 12 drops--each one about four times the size of a helicopter load.

Although the Super Scooper pilots were able to use the ocean for water pickups, Freeman said, the high winds forced them to make a slight detour two miles up the coast to the shelter of Paradise Cove; on a calm day, the planes could have scooped water within sight of the blaze.

The county Fire Department acquired the two Canadian-made amphibious aircraft in October on a three-month lease from the Quebec government.

In an unusual partnership, the county shared the cost for leasing one of the planes--$719,000, including two crews and mechanics--with the California insurance industry and the federal government. The other plane is being donated for three months by Bombardier Inc. of Montreal, parent company of Canadair, which manufactures the planes.

Each plane costs $515 an hour to fly; buying a plane outright would cost $16.5 million. The two are based at Van Nuys Airport.

The high costs are among the reasons that opponents blocked extensive testing of the planes here more than a decade ago. They had also argued that the planes cannot fly at night, have trouble in gusty winds and cannot refill from a choppy ocean.

But last fall’s two dozen wildfires and their $1-billion price tag spurred the county to become the first California jurisdiction to acquire the planes. Gov. Pete Wilson signed a bill in September to allow the arrangement, reversing his decision two years ago to veto a similar program.

The planes carry two tanks capable of holding 1,410 gallons of water--which they can scoop up in 10- to 12-second nonstop runs, skimming the surface of a body of water--and 129 gallons of soapy fire-retardant foam.

To be usable, a body of water must be at least 4,000 feet long, 300 feet wide and six feet deep, giving the county Fire Department 15 “scoopable” local water sources, including the ocean.

Late Thursday, after the fire was declared contained, newly sworn county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky met with Freeman and other fire officials in the garage at Los Angeles County Fire Station 71 at Zuma Beach.

“This county would, in the long run, be well-served by having one of its own Super Scoopers,” said Yaroslavsky, sporting a yellow Los Angeles City Fire Department slicker. “If we could find a way to finance it, it would be very useful. I thought it was very, very effective in tandem with the helicopters.”

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Super Scooper Performance

The county’s newly leased Super Scoopers, two amphibious planes used in firefighting, were among the first pieces of equipment to respond to Thursday’s blaze. Although the carry four times as much water as the county’s firefighting helicopters, their effectiveness was up for debate. High winds hampered their ability to make direct hits. Because the Super Scoopers can’t fly as low as helicopters, the wind affects their drops more.

The Super Scoopers need not land to replanish their water supply. Ten seconds of contact with the surface of a nearby lake, reservoir or in this case, the ocean is all that is needed between drops. The plan’s ability to fly in narrow canyons makes it ideal for battling fires in Southern California.

Through a unique partnership between the county and insurance companies, the Canadian-made aircraft have been leased from the Quebec government for a three-month trial.

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* Wingspan: 94 feet; height 29 feet.

* Length: 65 feet.

* Weight: 43,850 pounds.

* Leasing Cost: Three months for $719,000 for two crews and mechanics, plus $515 an hour in flight.

* Purchase price: $16.5 million. * Fuel capacity: 1,530 gallons, enough to permit four hours of flight. * Baffle: Excess water drains through baffle.

* Crews: Two Canadian pilots and one from L.A. County Fire Department.

* Scoops: Water rushes into tanks through a pair of 3-by-5-inch scoops. * Water drop doors: Two doors open to release water.

* Fuselage: Like a giant pontoon, the unusual shape permits water landings and takeoffs.

* Wingtip pontoons: Provide added stability.

The Scoop

* Water storage: Two tanks hold 1,410 gallons, about the same as 43 bathtubs.

* Foam Storage: Two tanks hold 159 gallons.

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The plane scooped from the Pacific Ocean while battling the Latigo Canyon blaze. The county Fire Department has identified up to 15 other local bodies of water from which the plane can scoop. The body of water must be at least 4,000 feet long, 300 feet wide and six feet deep. It can scoop in head winds to 45 m.p.h. and waves to five feet. Here’s how it works:

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1. As plane skims water at 100 m.p.h, pilot lowers the two 3-by-5-inch scoops.

2. Water rushes through scoops into two storage tanks.

3. In about 10 seconds, tank is full and plane rises off water.

The Drop

With small spotter plane leading the way, the Super Scooper begins its drop of water or foam from as low as 150 feet. Foam, a soapy concentrate that helps water “cling” to vegetation, is often used in initial stage.

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1. Pilot opens water drop doors, releasing water onto fire.

2. If foam is used, pilot uses control that injects foam concentrate from its storage tank into water tank. Upon release, mixture puffs up to 25 times its volume.

* Sources: Canadair; Los Angeles County Fire Department; Researched by JULIE SHEER / Los Angeles Times.