Well.....I guess someone had to conjure up a way to blame VRS.....congratulations upon being the winner!
Do you have any notion of what a US Forest Service Helicopter Load Calc Form is about and how aircraft loading is determined?
Here is a beginning point for you.
https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/fi...alculation.pdf
The bucket is can be jettisoned by multiple means.....but was not for some reason.that has not been reported at this time.