Western Australia is further equipped to deal with the bushfire season with the arrival of a second Large Air Tanker, poised to provide vital firefighting support.
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The Commonwealth-funded National LAT - a Boeing 737 Fireliner used to fight Californian wildfires in North America - is expected to be based in WA during the high-threat season, subject to major incidents interstate.
The aircraft was secured through the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council National Resource Sharing Centre.
During the 2021-22 bushfire season the LAT was stationed in WA for the duration of the state's bushfire season.
The State Government will fund the operational costs for the duration of its deployment in WA.
Its arrival means WA's entire aerial fleet - comprising of 36 rotary and fixed-wing suppression, supervision, and aerial intelligence aircraft - is now online.
The Boeing 737 Fireliner LAT - nicknamed Phoenix - weighs more than 62,000kg, has a loaded cruising speed of nearly 800km/h, and can carry 15,000 litres of fire suppressants.
It joins the C130 Hercules LAT at Busselton-Margaret River Airport in the South-West.
Both the Boeing 737 and C130 Hercules provided vital support during the bushfire that threatened Cervantes and Jurien Bay last week, completing drops of fire suppressant to strengthen containment lines and support crews on the ground.
The aerial fleet is jointly managed by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservations and Attractions.
