The Fremont County Airport played an integral role in the firefighting efforts for the Mason Gulch Wildfire that burned over 11,300 acres in the San Isabel National Forest in Custer and Pueblo Counties. Airport Manager Richard Baker said 205 aircraft sorties were flown from the airport to attack the Mason Gulch fire from July 7 – 11.
The Fremont County Airport is serving as a staging location this summer for a pair of small air tankers which are designed to provide a quick aerial response to fight fires in southern Colorado. One tanker is under contract to the Colorado State Forest Service and the other is under contract to the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM’s tanker has a capacity of 600 gallons and came from Plains, Texas. The Forest Service tanker, from Rigby, Idaho, has a capacity of 800 gallons.
Three other small air tankers were also brought in to help fight the Mason Gulch fire. Baker said over the five days the air tankers delivered 103,000 gallons of fire retardant slurry on the fire. Baker said having the new one million gallon water tank available south of the airport also provided crews with an ample water supply to mix the slurry that was loaded on the air tankers.
Baker said the firefighting also resulted in sales of over 9,800 gallons of jet fuel and over 4,600 gallons of aviation fuel at the Fremont County Airport.
The Fremont County Commissioners praised the work of Baker and his airport staff who worked a total of 142 hours over the five day period to support the efforts of the firefighters.
Baker says because of the strategic value of having the air tankers stationed at the Fremont County Airport and because of the high wildfire danger, the BLM and the Forest Service have extended the contract for the air tankers at the airport through the end of September.
The Fremont County Airport is serving as a staging location this summer for a pair of small air tankers which are designed to provide a quick aerial response to fight fires in southern Colorado. One tanker is under contract to the Colorado State Forest Service and the other is under contract to the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM’s tanker has a capacity of 600 gallons and came from Plains, Texas. The Forest Service tanker, from Rigby, Idaho, has a capacity of 800 gallons.
Three other small air tankers were also brought in to help fight the Mason Gulch fire. Baker said over the five days the air tankers delivered 103,000 gallons of fire retardant slurry on the fire. Baker said having the new one million gallon water tank available south of the airport also provided crews with an ample water supply to mix the slurry that was loaded on the air tankers.
Baker said the firefighting also resulted in sales of over 9,800 gallons of jet fuel and over 4,600 gallons of aviation fuel at the Fremont County Airport.
The Fremont County Commissioners praised the work of Baker and his airport staff who worked a total of 142 hours over the five day period to support the efforts of the firefighters.
Baker says because of the strategic value of having the air tankers stationed at the Fremont County Airport and because of the high wildfire danger, the BLM and the Forest Service have extended the contract for the air tankers at the airport through the end of September.