Northern Colorado has a new Black Hawk on duty at the airport west of Steamboat Springs. The HeliQwest Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk has a 1,000-gallon tank system and is now staged on exclusive use at the Yampa Valley Regional Airport, according to a 9NEWS report.
The Black Hawk’s tank can be removed for projects better suited to bucket use. The HeliQwest helicopter can make water drops up to 9,000 lbs. and is often used in inaccessible areas with difficult terrain.
“This resource is another tool in the toolbox for us to partner with counties and local fire departments,” said Vaughn Jones, a section chief with the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC). The DFPC said it considers the Black Hawk one of the best firefighting helicopters available.
The Steamboat Pilot reported that this is a new addition to the tarmac near the main terminal. The DFPC has contracted with HeliQwest International for a 120-day exclusive-use contract to stage the Black Hawk for the summer; it will be available for statewide fire response.
“Having a Black Hawk and firefighting crew right here in northwest Colorado allows us to have an immediate response if the need arises,” Routt County Commissioner Tim Redmond said.
Officials said a Chinook was stationed at Yampa last year, and a Black Hawk stationed at the airport in 2021 responded to both the Morgan Creek Fire and the Muddy Slide Fire. Both helicopters were involved in initial attack on several smaller fires throughout the region.
The USFS Jeffco Airtanker Base at Broomfield also provides aerial support for fires across the state. It’s now open full-time for the summer. 9NEWS has video of the new Black Hawk at Yampa online [HERE].