When are air tankers most effective?

Air tankers are most effective during the initial attack on small fires. This is primarily because their purpose is to deliver fire retardant or suppressive agents quickly to help control and limit the spread of the fire while it's still manageable. When responding to a new fire, the goal is to suppress it before it grows large and becomes more difficult to control. The rapid deployment of air tankers can create strategic barriers that help to slow down or stop the progression of the fire, allowing ground crews to engage more effectively.

In the context of mop-up operations, while air resources may support other firefighting efforts, they are typically not employed at this stage as the fire is already under control and ground crews are focused on extinguishing any remaining hot spots. Similarly, for spot fires under the smoke column, air tankers might not be optimal due to visibility issues and the nature of ground firefighting tactics required in those situations. Therefore, the effectiveness of air tankers is most pronounced when employed during the critical initial attack phase on small fires.