As our state continues to be on fire, let me paint you this picture.
Our state is one fire; that, you know. You’re avoiding the smoky air by staying inside and trying to keep cool when the sound of a helicopter in the distance sounds like it’s getting closer and closer. Maybe making its way to the Yakima Airport to refuel or swap out pilots.
But, no, this time it’s getting very close. You peek out your window to discover the helicopter dipping that expandable water bucket into your swimming pool, taking your water, to help put out the nearby fires.
Is this legal?
I mean, if they ask of course one would allow it, but they didn’t even ask.
This story didn’t actually happen, I made it up, but it very-well could and it has happened to others.
Can helicopter firefighters take water from your swimming pool without asking?
As it turns out, yes!
In many states, there are laws in place where firefighters can grab water from any resource if it means assistance in putting out wildfires and forest fires.
Rivers, streams, lakes, the watering hole at the zoo, I suppose could be included in that, and, yes, even your own personal swimming pool. And definitely from public pools.
Though I’m not sure if helicopters have a way of calling the public pool in advance to clear people out or if they just get the hint when a helicopter with one of those bucket starts lower upon them.
That would be a scary sight.
Now, I’m sure these helicopter pilots need to make sure there’s nobody in the swimming pool when this happens.
And, on the flipside, if I was in a pool and saw this bucket coming down, I wouldn’t take any chances. I’d move out of the way as quick as I could.
USA Today mentioned this idea when talking about the fires in California which is also constantly on fire.
LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state
Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA’s State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.
Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.
Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi
KEEP READING: Get answers to 51 of the most frequently asked weather questions…
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