A US Boeing 747 supertanker, which can hold up to 19,600 gallons of fluid, was deployed November 26 to battle flames along the the highway that connects Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The massive plane joins 20 other foreign planes that have been sent to aid the Middle Eastern nation during the fire crisis.
The 747 is valued for its ability to operate at night, when winds are stronger.
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) November 26, 2016
The Spirit of John Muir, based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is so huge that it can disperse water more like falling rain, covering wide areas of ground, rather than having to concentrate on smaller areas at a time.
— Micky Rosenfeld (@MickyRosenfeld) November 26, 2016
"Our team is committed to providing assistance to our friends in Israel for as long as it takes to gain control of, or extinguish these devastating fires," said CEO of Global SuperTanker Jim Wheeler in a statement on the company's website. "We are prepared to stay in Israel for as long as we are needed, but we hope that the SuperTanker will provide the force multiplier to end these devastating fires in a very short timeframe."
Israel has been battling fires for the past week, and has arrested more than a dozen people for suspected arson.
