Webster Fire Department Brings Water for DNR Planes

Wildfire assistance

In the extremely dry and high fire-danger conditions we are experiencing in NW WIsconsin, Webster Fire Chief Steiner said the Webster Fire Department is helping the Wisconsin DNR’s firefighting airplanes as they battle numerous wildfires from the air.

The DNR owns new, purpose-built tanker airplanes called Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs). These are agricultural sprayer planes that double as water drop planes for firefighting.

The single-seat, 510-horsepower planes hold about 500 gallons of water and are refilled on the ground. A larger model has 1600 horsepower and holds 800 gallons.

“The planes land at Burnett County Airport to refill,” Steiner said. “We assisted the DNR twice in the past week with our pumper truck to fill the DNR water tanks.”