Update: Things got pretty nuts down here, visibility went to nil pretty much everywhere. We kept getting bumped to different camps and evacuating almost daily. We were going though Spanish translators at an alarming rate. I guess acceptable vis for a Canadian is far lower than a Spaniard. One guy only lasted one flight. Heard "crazy fucking Canucks" more than a few times.
Then the weather turned. Humidity went through the roof, fog rolled in, and the fires pretty much stopped. Standby 7 am to 9 pm daily throwing rocks, closest to the string gets the point. Replaced our cocky Spaniard translators with a cute as hell Chilean pilot. Her dad was flying water bombing Air Tractor AT-802s and his load didn't drop as he pulled up into a mountain and he smacked into the trees, flipping over repeatedly right in front of us. He's fine; broken ribs, sternum and vertebra, tough old goat is already up and around. Everyone loves her to death but there's not many fires now. Odd one I guess... Argentina is having a heat wave and burning up, but Chile have us under contract until mid-April.
Newest rumour is helo being shipped to Spain for their summer fire season. Fingers crossed. I'm in Santiago now, museum/art gallery day tomorrow then off to -15 in Winnipeg for annual recurrent training....
Loving my hat
Russian Kamov picking up water in front of us
Rock throwing game, there's a string across the middle of the end, closest gets the point. We're playing for money now
Local cleaning lady made us a snack, and showed off the mask she wears when she feeds all the families that have lost their homes to fires, makes the kids laugh. Coolest person I have met in a very long time
Damn humidity...
Moody mechanic (aren't they all) in Tome, not far from our camp
Damn feral beasts that keep us up all night barking and howling and chasing shit in the dark...
Graffiti everywhere in Chile
Everyone's favourite translator by a very large margin, she heads home most nights to care for her Dad
