NEWS RELEASE USDA Forest Service -- Northern Region |
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News Contact: Paula Nelson, Media
Officer (406)329-3472 Cell: 370-7147
Missoula, Montana, June 10,
2004 – “The Northern Rockies Coordinating Group (NRCG) has taken action to
secure supplemental aviation resources for this summer’s fire season in the
Northern Rockies,” said Rodd Richardson, NRCG member and Director of Fire,
Aviation and Air for the Forest Service Northern Region. “Some of these aircraft are part of a
national network of resources that are moved around the country to bolster
capability in areas experiencing severe fire seasons,” he added. The resources include an additional 14
helicopters that can carry personnel, drop water and retardant, 9 additional
SEATs (single engine airtankers), and 2 CL-215 “water scooping” aircraft in Northern
Idaho and Montana over the 2003 resources.
That means there will be a total of 33 helicopters, 14 SEATs and 2 water
scoopers positioned across Northern Idaho and Montana.
These actions were taken in
part to ensure all agencies had supplemental firefighting resources in the wake
of national contract cancellations for large airtankers. The Northern Rockies would normally host 6
large airtankers used as part of the national pool of resources, according to
Richardson. A May report from the National
Transportation Safety Board raised concerns about the air worthiness of the
aging, large airtanker fleet, and last week the Federal Aviation
Administration, Forest Service and Department of Interior provided a format for
airtanker companies to display their maintenance and use records. Decisions will come from the national offices
of cooperating agencies.
The drought continues for a
sixth year through much of the northern Rockies with early hot and dry
conditions across eastern Montana and into North Dakota. Although recent showers have delayed drying
in the western part of the region, the east has already experienced two large
fires and is bracing for an above normal fire season. Fire behavior prediction specialists at the Northern Rockies
Coordination Center predict that fire danger should elevate to above normal for
much of our area in July and August and caution that the potential for a severe
fire season exists over much of the area.
Additional information on
the air tanker and aerial resources can be found at: http://www.nifc.gov/nr_airtanker-contracts.html
Additional fire season
severity prediction information can be found at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/fire/nrcc/predictiveservices/outlooks/seasonal_assment.pdf
This resource includes fire
season narrative, full color maps displaying drought and tree mortality from
insects and disease, and charts displaying relative fire hazard in local areas
in contrast to 2000 and the “normal” fire season.
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