Those things are really bitchen for fighting alpine forest fires on relatively flat land/rolling hills, like in Canada... In reality when it comes time for them to drop a load on the SoCal wildfires they're more a PR stunt than they are effective. We just have too many canyons and such. Still looks awesome, do you know if they're mostly wood construction?
Just thought I would share a better look at where the Plane calls home.
First picture is of Mt. Arrowsmith, a hill I like to climb on weekends and from where I took the picture of Sproat Lake.

Next is the picture I took of Sproat Lake, where you would find that plane flying in and out of, like most puddles in Canada (B.C.)

a bit hazy, next time I'll take a better pic, but it gives you an idea of the flat lands up here and what that plane has to navigate when fighting fires

Somewhere down there is where I Live along the river

-Rebel