A NASA high-altitude research aircraft conducted flights over the wildfires in British Columbia to enhance understanding of weather phenomena triggered by large fires. The ER-2 plane was observed flying multiple times over B.C.’s southern Interior on Saturday, departing from Great Falls, Montana, on a flight lasting over six hours. Flight data from the Flightradar24 website revealed that the aircraft spent approximately four hours at an altitude of 60,000 feet above the Clinton area, where the extensive Pear Lake wildfire has been active. It then traveled east over Lake Revelstoke before returning to U.S. airspace.
NASA’s research focuses on pyrocumulonimbus clouds, described as one of the least comprehended severe weather forms on Earth. The B.C. Wildfire Service noted that the Pear Lake wildfire, spanning nearly 1,500 square kilometers, has generated such clouds resulting from intense smoke and heat, capable of inducing rain, lightning, and fire tornadoes.
The ER-2, a modified Cold War spy plane also known as the U-2, holds altitude flight records that surpass typical commercial flight levels by up to twice. Equipped with advanced infrared wildfire trackers, the aircraft gathers essential data on pyrocumulonimbus clouds. NASA emphasized the critical role of monitoring these unique storms in real-time to aid in predicting and managing their impact on aviation safety and fire management.