DENVER | The governor’s top fire official says Colorado needs additional aircraft to spot and fight wildfires sooner, telling lawmakers during a briefing that the state needs “to bring tools to the game.”
Paul Cooke outlined a plan to lawmakers Wednesday that calls for the state to obtain two spotter planes to detect fires within an hour after the first smoke sighting. Cooke also recommends that the state contract four helicopters and four single-engine tankers to begin fire suppression within an hour of a request from fire chiefs.
But all that comes with a hefty price tag. The cost is estimated to be about $22 million in next year’s budget, which the Senate is currently considering.
Cooke’s recommendations were first released in a report Friday. His suggestions come in the aftermath of historic back-to-back wildfire seasons.
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