Starting July 1, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland began managing a Type 3 initial attack helicopter stationed in northern Fort Collins.
The helicopter is under contract for 60 days. It will be staffed seven days a week and have a minimum of four firefighters staffing it daily. The helicopter is well suited for our local terrain and conditions. The helicopter will be dispatched automatically for fires on National Forest System or Bureau of Land Management lands. It will also be available to cooperating agencies.
The forest is fully staffed for wildland firefighting response, but this resource increases the speed and capacity local units have to respond. Along with this aircraft, the forest has two additional 20-person crews available for initial attack response temporarily assigned to the forest while fire potential is elevated.
On the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, there are currently three fully-staffed engines and, for a portion of the season, a 10-person AmeriCorps crew. The district is also home to the Roosevelt Hotshots, who are a national resource that travel frequently across the U.S. throughout the fire season.
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