Fire Fighting helo
Just my opinion after thinking about the downdraft from a helicopter to some detail.
The heavier the helo the more downdraft. The trend in helo design is toward higher disc loading for transport of people. For fire fighting perhaps a lighter disc loading would be appropriate. The K-max is probably designed with low disc loading and fire fighting in mind.
Also the intermeshing rotor downwash may not be exactly straight down. I would be interested to know more about the K-max downwash.
Helos make good crop dusters because the downwash helps blow under the leaves. Does the downwash help or hurt over a fire? I dont know.
I was burning yesterday, a big fire clearing land. I noticed a little rain actually made the fire burn better. My theory is a little rain helps strip the ash so the fire burns better. To put the fire out is not easy and required large gulps of water, not mist.