The truth behind the viral video showing a helicopter "starting fires" in Canada
A video making rounds on the internet showing a helicopter “starting a fire” in a forest in Canada is nothing to panic about.
In the clip, a barrel hangs from a helicopter, shooting flames into the wild greenery.
The footage has been posted across social media platforms with captions accusing those aboard the helicopter of deliberately starting forest fires. But it’s not exactly worth a conspiracy theory if you know about firefighting.
@therealgiovannigambino #canada #wildfire ♬ original sound
The BC Wildfire Service initially posted the video on its YouTube channel. It documents the exact opposite of what many have assumed out of context. Planned ignition, also known as back burning, backfiring, or controlled prescribed burn-back, is an actual firefighting technique.
“Planned ignitions are an essential wildfire management tool to remove forest fuels and bring the fire’s edge to established control lines with less intensity than free burning fire, thus reducing the ability for further spread,” reads the video’s description.
According to the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services, a backburn is deliberately initiated in front of an active firefront — this can be a forest fire, grass fire, or another kind of wildfire. This doesn’t only happen aerially — it can also be done using hand-held torches.
It’s fighting fire with fire — literally.
A firefighter using a hand-held torch (BC Fire Service)
Mike Morrow, an ignition specialist working on the Donnie Creek fires with BC Wildfire Service, explains how the process works in the original video.
“Extreme fire behaviour is occurring naturally on the north end,” Morrow says. “If we had a wind shift, [that fire] would be coming back to the communities and structures. What we’re doing is we’re taking the fuels out on our terms rather than letting Mother Nature guide the project.”
He adds that the device hanging from the helicopter in the video is called a “heli-torch.”
A view from the heli-torch (BC Fire Services)
“A heli-torch is a 45-gallon drum of gel gasoline that the pilot has suspended under the helicopter,” Morrow continues. “It is quick to ignite, especially in the black spruce, which is what we need to maintain control of our ignition operations.”
As the pilot flies along, they pull the trigger on a remote device which shoots the jellied gasoline. This jelly ignites as it leaves the nozzle and sets tree tops ablaze.
Since June 1, BC Fire Service specialists have bordered massive chunks of forest with these heli-torch-generated fires and have successfully contained the wildfire. This strategic burn also allows firefighters to access the land by road vehicles, put out smouldering wood, and create a much safer work environment.
Wildfire contained using planned ignition (BC Fire Services)
Watch how planned ignitions are helping save hundreds of thousands of acres of forested land in Canada here:
Follow Channels and Categories