• Fire incidents, including forest blazes, in Uttarakhand recorded a multifold surge during March-April compared to the same period in 2023, with some districts such as Nainital registering an over seven-fold increase.

• The forest fire situation in Nainital worsened on April 26 with the flames reaching dangerously close to a residential colony.

• However, the situation was brought under control with an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter roped in to collect water from the lakes in a 5,000-litre Bambi Bucket and pour it over the flaming forests.

• The IAF helicopter collected water from the Naini and Bhimtal lakes in a Bambi Bucket and poured it over the burning forests of the Pines, Bhumiadhar, Jyolikot, Narayan Nagar, Bhawali, Ramgarh and Mukteshwar areas.

What are Bambi Buckets?

• Bambi Buckets have been used across every spectrum of the aerial firefighting industry, from small private operations to large government contracted firefighting operations to military forces around the world that are called in to fight fires.

• Invented in 1978 by SEI Industries founder Don Arney, a concept initially constructed in his garage, in a home not far from where SEI Industries is now based in Canada, the Bambi Bucket began commercial production in 1982.

• The Bambi Bucket is used in over 100 countries to help fight forest fires through strategic and precisely targeted water and retardant drops. 

• The bucket contains a single drop valve and activation through a switch on the pilot cyclic.

• The first Bambi Bucket produced was of 270 liters. The largest Bambi Bucket is capable of holding 9,800 liters.

• Bambi Buckets discharge a solid column of water rather than a spray, resulting in a more accurate and effective water dump, less evaporation on descent, and greater impact force.

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