Water bombers live: track firefighting aircraft in real time
Continuously updated · No water bomber currently detected in flight
See water bombers on the live map →Water bombers only operate in daylight: seeing few or none at night is normal. They reappear over fire zones at sunrise.
How does kanari track water bombers?
Every aircraft broadcasts its position via ADS-B (the same signal as airliners). kanari aggregates these signals through community ADS-B networks and filters firefighting assets: Canadair CL-415/CL-215, Air Tractor Fire Boss, S-2T Turbo Tracker, DC-10 and BAe 146 air tankers, and firefighting helicopters (S-64 Air Crane, Chinook, Firehawk). Positions refresh about every 15 seconds, with interpolated movement in between.
The French fleet: Pélican, Milan, Dragon
France's Sécurité Civile operates 12 Canadair CL-415s (callsign “Pélican”), 6 Dash 8-402MRs (“Milan”) and EC145 rescue helicopters (“Dragon”), based at Nîmes-Garons. kanari tracks each airframe individually as soon as it takes off, thanks to its unique transponder ID. Credits to Henri (canadair-tracker) for mapping the fleet.
Why don't I see any aircraft near a fire?
Three possible reasons: it's night (no night drops), the assets engaged are local or military helicopters that don't broadcast publicly, or the transponder is off. kanari shows everything publicly broadcasting — which covers most European Canadairs and North American tankers.
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?
The kanari.io map shows the real-time position of every Canadair and water bomber broadcasting ADS-B worldwide: Italy, France, Croatia, Greece, Spain, North America, Australia. Click an aircraft for its model, nationality, speed and altitude.
Are Canadairs visible on Flightradar24?
Partially: generic flight trackers bury them among thousands of airliners. kanari shows only firefighting assets, on the same map as fire detections, wind and water points, so you understand the mission, not just the position.
Can I track the French Pélican Canadairs in flight?
Yes: the 12 CL-415 “Pélican” and 6 Dash 8 “Milan” of the French Sécurité Civile are tracked individually by kanari as soon as they take off from Nîmes-Garons.
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.
See also: FAQ. Data: community ADS-B networks. In an emergency call 112 / 911.