In August 2020 the Oil Stop Division of AMPOL shipped its new model SFB18TTcontainment boom to California to aid the firefighting effort. One of the tools commonly used in fighting forest fires is “Bambi” buckets under-slung from helicopters. The helicopter crew will use local rivers as a water source to scoop up water and deploy it to the fire zones.
One of the effects of the forest fires is the local rivers are becoming clogged with floating debris, trees, limbs, and construction materials from homes, farms and businesses. The debris prevents the helicopter from getting a clear opening to dip the bucket.
Oil Stop Boom shown in typical high debris containment action
The firefighters will use the Oil Stop boom to create a floating dam to contain the debris and create a clear area for water. Oil Stop offers floating barriers used for many applications other than oil spill control. Special designs for aquatic weed control, turbidity and silt control, security barriers and marine life protectors/excluders are manufactured.