Water delivered where it counts: How Vallfirest integrates tanks, pumps and skid units for wildland firefighting
Iain Hoey
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Vallfirest outlines how inflatable tanks, portable pumps and modular skid units combine to support faster, more autonomous response in challenging wildland firefighting operations
As wildfires grow in intensity and complexity across the globe, the need for efficient, reliable and mobile water delivery systems becomes increasingly urgent.
Firefighting crews must be equipped with tools that allow them to rapidly respond, adapt to rugged terrain and operate with autonomy in remote areas.
This is where a smart integration of inflatable tanks, modular skid units and portable pumps becomes a game-changer.
Each of these components brings unique operational advantages, but together, they form a powerful and flexible suppression system tailored for modern wildland firefighting.
Quick-deploy inflatable tank
Ensuring a reliable water supply is one of the greatest challenges in wildfire suppression.
In remote areas where access to natural water sources is limited, inflatable water tanks provide a strategic advantage.
Their rapid deployment, high storage capacity and mobility make them an essential tool for modern firefighting operations.
Designed for both ground-based and aerial dipping/refilling, these tanks enhance operational efficiency, ensuring water is available where and when it is needed most.
The Vallfirest Inflatable Tank is unique in the way it can inflate within 90 seconds and doesn’t require any personnel below the helicopter to hold it open for the initial fill drops from a helicopter.
It is the only free-standing, inflatable tank in the world specifically engineered with helicopter operations in mind – able to withstand the impact of large helicopter buckets.
This unmatched resilience allows helicopters to refill quickly and safely, making it a key asset in aerial firefighting operations.
Its compact storage, easy transport by helicopter or truck and quick inflation using an electric blower make it an optimal solution for emergency response teams.
With a capacity ranging from 7,000 to 56,000 liters (1,850-14,800 USG) and a structure built from high-strength PVC (2,600 g/m²) with a reinforced double-layer base, the tank offers outstanding durability in extreme environments while significantly reducing setup time compared to rigid alternatives.
Skid units: modular suppression power
The Vallfirest range of truck & UTV mounted skid units is designed to offer compact, robust and versatile firefighting solutions, ready to respond in the most challenging wildland fire scenarios.
Vallfirest offers versions with polyethylene (PE) and stainless steel (INOX) tanks, configured for both Truck and UTV vehicles, adaptable to both initial/sustained attack operations and logistical support tasks.
Depending on the operational needs, the skid units can be configured with centrifugal, membrane, or piston pumps, ensuring low pressure or ultra high pressure water delivery responses are tailored to each intervention.
One of the most advanced and in-demand configurations in our range is the skid unit with a polyethylene (PE) tank and BH4 centrifugal pump, developed entirely by Vallfirest to offer a rapid attack solution that is robust, reliable and efficient.
At the heart of the system is the BH4 centrifugal pump, capable of reaching pressures of up to 25 bar (363 psi) and flow rates of up to 390 l/min (104 USG), making it one of the most powerful in its class.
Equipped with gasoline engines of up to 13.5 HP, it is available with manual and electric start and offers different combinations to suit the conditions of each operation.
This hydraulic power is complemented by a one-piece rotationally molded polyethylene tank, available in 400, 500 and 600-liter (105, 132 and 158 USG) capacities.
The tank stands out for its light weight, strength and durability.
It features internal baffles, 8 mm (0.3 inch) wall thickness, a top inspection cap, water level indicator and fittings for filling from hydrants or direct suction from natural sources.
Its shape is optimized to fit between the wheel arches of pickup trucks and with the baffled tank design ensures proper weight distribution and improved stability during off-road driving.
This configuration enables autonomous, fast and effective firefighting response, especially during the critical initial attack phase, where response time and maneuverability are key to containing the fire’s spread.
Lightweight, reliable and powerful portable pumps
Our portable fire-fighting pump systems offer the best balance between flow rate and maximum pressure, making them ideal for wildland firefighting.
We offer a complete range of models with motors of different powers and weights, catering to various transportability needs, including options for mounting on light vehicles such as UTVs and pickup trucks.
Built with high-quality aluminum and aerospace-grade surface treatments, our pumps are known for their strength, durability, ease of starting and light-weight.
In rugged terrain and hard-to-access areas, Vallfirest portable pumps provide effective solutions for moving water across long distances and steep elevation changes.
For example, the BH1 pump, weighing only 9.5 kg (21 lb.), can be easily carried in a backpack or transported by helicopter, allowing crews to reach remote locations quickly.
For operations involving significant elevation gains, models like the BP4X and BH2 deliver up to 26.2 bar (380 psi) and 17.1 bar (248 psi) of pressure respectively overcoming site specific hydraulic limitations without sacrificing flow.
In more accessible areas that demand maximum power, the BH4—a 4-stage centrifugal pump—offers pressures of up to 28.8 bar (418 psi) and a maximum flow rate of 397 l/min (105 USG/min), making it ideal for high-demand suppression operations.
These tools also enable advanced pump configurations, such as parallel setups to boost flow or series setups to increase pressure, adapting to the specific tactical needs of each wildland firefighting operation.
Furthermore, Vallfirest provides local product representatives, direct technical support, technical documentation, audiovisual resources and training for our customers and distributors, making it easier for firefighters to operate and extend the lifespan of these essential tools.
Our pumps are crucial for new-generation forest fire suppression strategies, contributing to environmental protection and community safety.
Heliskid: Strengthen Water Supply Logistical Support on Geographically Challenging Wildfires.
The Heliskid is a compact, versatile, quick-deploy wildfire suppression skid unit designed for aerial and ground transport.
The Heliskid can be transported to any location, raised off from the truck bed via four post raise/lower system into remote location and/or be slung under a helicopter to be re-positioned into other areas otherwise inaccessible by vehicles.
This operational flexibility enables quicker access to natural water sources closer to the wildfire.
Equipped with a 3,000-liter (793 USG) collapsible, polyurethane tank and a high-performance 4-stage fire pump, the Heliskid delivers six times the capacity of a traditional fire truck skid unit in a format ready for both ground or aerial deployment.
With a reinforced aluminum structure, four telescopic legs and four helicopter lifting points, the Heliskid is quick to set up – fully operational in under five minutes.
The Heliskid can even be loaded with tools and up to four hose packs without compromising airlift safety.
Designed for direct attack operations in remote environments, the Heliskid dramatically reduces water supply time when refilled by helicopters, or for helicopter bucket filling by creating a mobile, autonomous water source exactly where it’s needed most.
Getting water closer to the fire, reducing turn times on fires is both efficient use of expensive resources and improves fire suppression success.
The full system approach
What makes these tools truly powerful is their interoperability.
An inflatable tank serves as a mobile reservoir positioned in a strategic location.
A skid unit mounted on a pickup truck brings both pumping capacity and water storage directly to the field.
A portable pump extends the water line into inaccessible terrain, bridging the gap between the vehicle and the fire line.
Together, they create a layered and adaptable suppression system that scales to the needs of the operation—whether it’s a small crew working deep in a pine forest or a multi-agency team defending the wildland-urban interface.
This flexibility allows wildfire incident responders and commanders to adapt their tactics in real time, depending on fire behavior, fuel type, topography and resource availability.
This modular approach enhances logistics, reduces response time and increases the autonomy of firefighting units in the field.
It empowers crews to establish self-sufficient suppression systems wherever they’re needed, from initial attack to extended operations.
By integrating smart storage, transport and pumping technologies, Vallfirest provides comprehensive solutions for fast-moving, unpredictable wildfire scenarios.
Fighting wildfires requires more than just strength, it demands smart, integrated solutions tailored to the challenges of modern firefighting.
Inflatable tanks, skid units like the BH4 with polyethylene tanks and portable pumps such as the BH1 and BP4 are not standalone products; they are components of a strategic system designed to give firefighting crews the upper hand in complex and evolving situations.
This system-based philosophy ensures that resources are used effectively, crews operate with greater autonomy and suppression efforts are faster and more precise.
Vallfirest continues to develop and refine these tools in close collaboration with structural and wildland fire services around the world, anticipating operational needs and engineering solutions that deliver versatility, mobility and power to those on the front lines.
With wildfires posing an increasing threat to ecosystems and communities, the future of firefighting lies in modular, integrated and field-proven systems that adapt to every scenario—and that future is already here.