Private Aerial Firefighters Scramble As Western Fire Season Gains Speed
The private aerial firefighting industry has once again demonstrated its capability to deploy aircraft and crews rapidly to a rash of wildland fires throughout the far Western US. Currently, some 31 fires in nine States--from Alaska to Texas--have destroyed over 1,354,562 acres.
“What was a slow fire season appears to be gaining speed, thanks to higher than normal temperatures this summer in the Pacific Northwest and a longer dry weather period throughout much of the West ,” said Tom Eversole, Executive Director of the American Helicopter Services and Aerial Firefighting Association (AHSAFA) in Washington, DC.
Aerial firefighting companies, as in prior years, were well prepared. “In light of the (unusual) heat wave that we’ve been experiencing throughout Oregon and Washington, we were pretty sure that our aircraft would be called upon to help fight fires,” said Columbia Helicopters’ President, Mike Fahey. The Portland, Oregon-based company now has eight helicopters--including light medium, and heavy models--at work on fires extending from Mount McLean in Lillooet, British Columbia, to the Lassen National Forest in Northern California; and in Oregon and Washington. One helicopter was sent to Roseburg, Oregon, for participation in “Strike Force,” a new US Forest Service rapid response program that deploys teams of multiple helicopters and ground crews for initial fire attack.
Also in British Columbia, Erickson Air-Crane has had three helicopters deployed near Kelowna for the past month helping to fight a series of fires sparked by lightning and fueled by hot, high winds. “It’s the most activity we have had in British Columbia in at least 10 years,” said Tracy Weaver, Director of Aerial Services for the Central Point, Oregon, company.
Franz Bergtold, director of operations for Hillsboro Aviation in Hillsboro, Oregon, noted that he is seeing “the typical hot spots” this fire season, but added that dry, exceptionally hot weather in the Pacific Northwest has increased the fire danger, especially due to lightning strikes. Hillsboro Aviation, he said, has 22 people, supporting six helicopters currently engaged in firefighting, from the Railbelt Complex Fire near Fairbanks, Alaska, to the Broken Ridge Fire close to Cedar City, Utah; as well as fires in Washington and Oregon.
“Right now, Alaska seems to be the place with the biggest fires this season,” said Stuart Taft, assistant chief pilot and safety manager for Hillcrest Aircraft Company in Lewiston, Idaho. “We have had a Bell 205 in Alaska since early July, and it’s currently working the Crazy Mountain Complex Fire (near Circle),” he said. He added that the company has also based a Bell 205 for the summer at Wenatchee, Washington, as well as one in Reno, Nevada, in preparation for any sudden fire activity.
“We’re experiencing a late-starting fire season, but one that could be difficult, and last through November--as in previous years,” said Pete Gookin, Chief Pilot for Sonora, California-based Intermountain Helicopters. “Normally, the fire season has already ended in the Southwest, but the weather continues to be hot and dry there, with lightning strikes--and no rain.” Intermountain Helicopters currently has a Eurocopter SA 315B Lama deployed to the Rim Fire in the Tonto National Forest, near Payson, Arizona.
Large Air Tanker operator Neptune Aviation of Missoula, Montana, is active throughout the West, specifically on fires in Oregon, California, New Mexico and Colorado, with eight converted Lockheed Martin P2V Neptune’s, according to Greg Jones, the company’s Director of Operations. “This week, we have done an extensive amount of flying around Alamogordo (New Mexico) and Grand Junction (Colorado). Usually, their fire season would have ended by early July, since that’s the start of their Monsoon period,” he said.
That view is shared by Chris Turner, President of Construction Helicopters in Howell, Michigan. “The Southwest fire season is kicking off at least three months late, and there’s still a great fire potential, since there’s so much dry fuel.” Construction Helicopters has six helicopters now on active fire assignments, from Idaho to Colorado and Texas, with three in California. In California, two are at Fall River Mills, with the other at Big Hill.
Aero Union, which has eight Lockheed Martin P3 Orion fixed wing Large Air Tankers deployed throughout the West, believes that given on-going drought conditions, fire activity can only increase. “We began to see increased activity just within the past week,” said Bob Farinsky, Director of Business Development for the Chico, California, company. “Right now, all of our aerial tankers are on fires throughout California, as well as in Montana, Colorado, and Arizona.”
“Although we haven’t seen the number of big fires in California that we’ve seen in previous years, hot and dry conditions continue to contribute to the fire danger,“ said Robin Rogers, vice president of Rogers Helicopters of Clovis, California. In fact, the company has two Bell 212s working in California, with one on the Shu lightning fire near Burney, and on the Knight Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest.
Columbia Helicopters, Erickson Air-Crane, Hillsboro Aviation, Hillcrest Aircraft Company, Intermountain Helicopters, Neptune Aviation, Construction Helicopters, Aero Union Corp, and Rogers Helicopters are all AHSAFA members. AHSAFA is the Washington-based trade association representing the private operators of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft before the US Department of Agriculture-Forest Service; the US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management; the Bureau of Indian Affairs; the Fish and Wildlife Service; the National Park Service; and various State wild land firefighting agencies. The association represents its members in Washington by working with key Congressional offices for the promotion of aerial firefighting industry needs, and support, and at key government agency meetings to monitor and provide input on issues impacting the aerial firefighting industry. AHSAFA also interfaces with other trade groups with common interests.
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