Author: Ryan Maye Handy

Erickson Incorporated renews contracts with U.S. Forest Service, Canada

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Erickson Incorporated has renewed aviation contracts with the U.S. Forest Service and Helifor Canada to fight North American fires in 2015, the company announced in a release on Tuesday.

The company has contracted multiple S-64 Aircranes for exclusive use for the U.S. Forest Service. Erickson will also work with Helifor on year-round timber harvest work in British Columbia until the end of 2015.

 

MAFFS units fight fires in western Utah

Two C-130s carrying MAFFS units were deployed to fires in Utah on Monday. The units were officially called up on Saturday morning, to be based out of Boise.

Updates Tuesday from the planes (you can follow them on Twitter):

  • On Monday the planes did 12 drops of 18,000 gallons of retardant.
  • Drops were made three times over the Lincoln and Sheep Fires in Utah.
  • Six drops were made over the Tunnel Hollow fire in Utah as well.

MAFFS units called up to assist with northwest fires

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MAFFS aircraft at Cheyenne, April 30, 2014, MAFFS numbers 0, 1, and 3

Two Department of Defense C-130s have been called up to help fight massive fires in Washington state and Oregon, the National Interagency Fire Center announced on Saturday morning.

Read more about the northwest fires from Wildfire Today. 

The two planes, equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems (MAFFS), were deployed from the 153rd Airlift Wing of the Wyoming Air National Guard in Cheyenne. The portable retardant units loaded onto the C-130s can carry up to 3,000 gallons of retardant. They can discharge their entire load in a matter of seconds.

The MAFFS units will initially be based in Boise.

Read more about the MAFFS units from Fire Aviation.

Pilot uninjured in Nevada helicopter accident

A helicopter carrying a sling-load crashed while working near the Destoya Fire in Nevada last week, the Bureau of Land Management said Monday.

The aircraft was working on a contractual basis for the BLM, when it had an accident near the fire on July 3. The pilot walked away with no injuries, and the crash is being investigated by the Office of Aircraft Services, said Randy Eardley with the BLM.

Eardley did not know what specifically caused the accident, nor did he know the name of the company on contract.

The BLM office in Elko, Nevada, in the state’s northwestern corner, is coordinating the fire effort.