Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera said the government is using the national budget to pay for the lease of a Boeing 747 SuperTanker from the Colorado-based company Global SuperTanker to help firefighters on the ground, as well as declaring a state of emergency to deal with the Amazon forest fires that are burning about one million hectares of forest in the Chiquitania region.
"The SuperTanker costs $1 million to rent. Its daily operating cost is $60,000, not to mention the $16,000 it costs for each firefighting flight," said Linera.
The plane carries about 1,500 liters of water and dumps it over rainforests that stretch about 40 kilometers at a time. The plane can fly hundreds of kilometers in a single flight. There have been at least four flights a day since it arrived in Bolivia on August 22.
The company claims its SuperTanker is “the world’s largest, fastest, and longest-range aerial firefighting asset.” According to laRazón, the company requires a guarantee of up to $800,000 to lease the aircraft.
"We have no problem with operating costs and are hiring more helicopters to fight the fires," said the Bolivian Vice President.
While the SuperTanker will release water to put out large fires, helicopters with water-loading capacity will be used to fight fires in smaller areas.
International organizations such as the United Nations and the International Development Bank have provided Bolivia with about $350,000 in aid to fight the Amazon fires, Vice President Linera added. He hopes the international community's support will reach $500,000.
Bolivian President Evo Morales said he welcomed more aid to fight the wildfires. He said at a press conference on August 25 that he had accepted offers of help from Spain, Chile and Paraguay.
Bolivian President Evo Morales personally visited the burning areas in the Amazon.
About 40% of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil, with the rest in neighboring countries like Bolivia. According to AP, the fire has burned about 9,000 square kilometers.2forests in Bolivia alone.
