Colorado Springs-based SuperTanker helping in Israel firefight

The Colorado Springs-based Global SuperTanker is starting big for its first firefight since gaining final approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

It has been sent to Israel to battle the wildfires raging in that country.

Flames swept across Haifa, Israel's third-largest city, forcing tens of thousands from their homes. The Associated Press reported Friday that the fire inside the city was under control, but that a dozen other fires in the country were still burning.

As the wildfires rage on, it's become an international effort to help out. Global SuperTanker CEO Jim Wheeler told 11 News reporter Katie Pelton that he got an urgent message on Thanksgiving Day.

"Everybody was hoping to sit down for Thanksgiving dinner but they had to drop everything and come on. I shoved the last little bit of pecan pie in my face as I was headed out the door to the airport," said Wheeler."

"They all missed their Thanksgiving dinner so we try to help them out with a little turkey and dressing on the way," he added.

Crews wasted no time getting the Boeing 747 in the air and across the globe. The aircraft took off from the Colorado Springs Airport Thursday night and arrived in Israel Friday morning.

"The plan has already landed. It’s in Tel Aviv, Israel. We flew there in 12 hours non-stop from Colorado Springs, which by the way makes Colorado Springs a global centroid for firefighting now," he said.

He said it will put Colorado Springs on the map.

"We like to think of it as the world center for aerial firefighting now."

The plane is the largest firefighting aircraft in the world, capable of dumping nearly 20,000 gallons of retardant, water or foam for up to 4,000 miles. It can be used to fight wildfires or other fires such as on ships, drilling rigs or trains in remote areas. Because it had to get certified, it was not able to be used in the fires that burned in Colorado earlier this year.

The aircraft received

However, a contract with the U.S. Forest Service has yet to be approved, so the SuperTanker currently cannot fight fires burning on U.S. Forest Service land.

“This is the first actual fire that it will participate in," said Wheeler. "Now the fire crew and the system was on the Mt. Carmel fire in 2010 in Israel, so we have experience over there.”

Crews are waiting to find out exactly where they will help out.

“Fires are pretty horrific over there right now. They’re really burning buildings and people are having to evacuate," said Wheeler.

"There’s a briefing tomorrow morning that will tell us exactly where they want us. We will go where the Israeli government needs us and we will stay as long as the Israeli government needs us," he added.

He said the SuperTanker will be in Israel for at least five days, but will stay longer depending on the behavior of the fire.

"We’re proud to be part of it, but we’re very saddened by the situation," he added.

Now the large bird and her crew are trying to make a dent in the disastrous fires burning overseas.