AURORA | As the wind whipped across Buckley Air Force Base, the Black Hawk helicopter touched the ground shortly before the sun dipped behind the horizon.
It marked the end of another long day for the Army National Guard troops at Buckley who have spent the past few weeks battling the High Park fire in Fort Collins.
“It’s been nonstop,” Chief warrant Officer Maggie Leturno said as she and other Guard troops waited for the chopper to return.
Since a few days after the massive fire broke out June 9 in Larimer County, more than 100 National Guardsmen, including several from Buckley, have been helping to battle the blaze.
In all, three Black Hawk helicopters from Buckley have flown more than 60 hours, dumping more than 70,000 gallons of water on the blaze, as of last week. As of Tuesday, the fire had consumed more than 87,000 acres.
Leturno said two of the helicopters are being used to dump water on the blaze, while the third can be used to hoist people and property out of the fire zone if necessary.
Crews leave from Buckley around dawn and don’t return until almost sundown each day.
The Black Hawks are outfitted with 760-gallon water buckets and Leturno said the crews scoop water from area ponds and dump it where needed.
When the operation started, getting the crews coordinated and the helicopters off the ground made for some hectic days, she said.
“The first few days were really crazy,” she said.
Since those first days, Leturno said the unit has developed an efficient system, one she hopes the Guard can use down the line.
“I hope we can replicate what we’ve done here,” she said.
Much of the battalion is preparing for a deployment to Kuwait later this summer, so Leturno said the Guard had to call in help from Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming.
The Black Hawk that touched down at Buckley that evening last week had two members of the Nebraska National Guard and one from Colorado.
“We’ve meshed and everyone has done really well,” she said.
“I hope we can replicate what we’ve done here,” she said.
It’s not just the helicopter units that are assisting in the fire, Guard troops are also helping with security and other firefighting operations.
Troops from the Colorado National Guard’s 1157th Engineer Firefighter Company sent pumper trucks, water tenders and firefighters to work side-by-side with civilians. The off-road vehicles, which carry 4,000 gallons of water, can deploy a mix of fire retardant that officials say helps protect homes against oncoming flames.
Col. Joel Best, Colorado Army National Guard land component commander, said the Guard firefighters are all U.S. Forest Service certified and are either paramedics or emergency medical
technicians.
The National Guard Communications Element is providing communications support and soldiers are providing administrative support for the Incident Command Team headquartered at the Colorado Army National Guard’s Fort Collins Readiness Center.
Troops from the 193rd Military Police Battalion, Colorado Army National Guard are helping the Larimer County Sheriff’s office with security, making sure people stay out of evacuated areas.
Maj. Michael McClelland, task force security commander with the Battalion, said the Guard had 62 troops on the ground at the joint support operations area in Larimer County
“When we get the call, our guys come running and we bring our extensive experience and training with us,” McClelland said in a statement.
Spc. Daniel Evanson with the 193rd Military Police Battalion, said the experience has been gratifying.
“It feels good to know that we’re helping our fellow Coloradans,” Evanson said in a statement. “This is exactly what we train for.”
Wonderful my Dear Girl. Mom could never be more proud of you.
What a great story about your hometown heroes, the Colorado Army NAtional Guardsman!