kanari

Water bombers live: track firefighting aircraft in real time

Continuously updated · 2026-09-17 11:58 UTC · 6 firefighting aircraft in flight right now

See water bombers on the live map →

In flight right now

🇨🇦 RJ85 Air TankerSUT430 · 398 kn · 30,000 ft🇺🇸 BAe 146 Air TankerTKR40 · 388 kn · 19,025 ft Air Tractor AT-802 Fire BossSHAHD267 · 9,975 ft BAe 146 Air TankerJTE7486 · 111 kn · 400 ft BAe 146 Air TankerQFA7411 · 374 kn · 21,900 ft BAe 146 Air TankerQFA7226 · 261 kn · 9,000 ft

How does kanari track water bombers?

kanari queries community ADS-B networks and identifies firefighting assets by type, registration and callsign. The map refreshes positions and interpolates movement between observations. Interpolated movement is not a new measurement. Reception and identification do not cover every aircraft.

The French fleet: Pélican, Milan, Dragon

The kanari directory identifies Pélican Canadairs, Milan Dash 8s and Dragon rescue helicopters. It does not describe operational availability or daily assignments. A position appears only when the received feed allows identification.

Why don't I see any aircraft near a fire?

An aircraft may be outside receiver coverage, unidentified, on the ground, in transit or missing from the received feed. An absent icon does not establish that its transponder is off or that no crews are responding. A position near a fire does not confirm a water drop.

Read the position without assuming the mission

  1. Open the map and navigate to your area of interest.
  2. Select an aircraft and compare its type, position, altitude and track with nearby detections.
  3. Check local authorities for confirmed deployments. Public tracking is not an operational dispatch system.

Sources: community ADS-B networks and an official example of a night-capable firefighting helicopter. ADSB.lol · CAL FIRE HAWK

How Canadair water bombers work · kanari sources and limitations

How can I track water bombers live?

Open the kanari.io map: airborne water bombers appear in real time with their speed and altitude, next to satellite-detected fires. Tracking is free, no signup, on mobile and desktop.

Where are the Canadairs right now?

kanari queries community ADS-B networks and identifies firefighting assets by type, registration and callsign. The map refreshes positions and interpolates movement between observations. Interpolated movement is not a new measurement. Reception and identification do not cover every aircraft.

Are Canadairs visible on Flightradar24?

An aircraft may be outside receiver coverage, unidentified, on the ground, in transit or missing from the received feed. An absent icon does not establish that its transponder is off or that no crews are responding. A position near a fire does not confirm a water drop.

Can I track the French Pélican Canadairs in flight?

kanari queries community ADS-B networks and identifies firefighting assets by type, registration and callsign. The map refreshes positions and interpolates movement between observations. Interpolated movement is not a new measurement. Reception and identification do not cover every aircraft.

How much water does a Canadair drop?

A CL-415 scoops about 6,000 litres in 12 seconds from a water body and can chain rotations for dozens of drops per day when a scooping point is close to the fire.

Water bombers at work, standout fires: the kanari digest by e-mail

Weekly in fire season, monthly in winter: the period's figures, the standout fire, and what satellites saw first.

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See also: FAQ. Data: community ADS-B networks. In an emergency call 112 / 911.