Maryland National Guard supports wildfire response
The organization dispatched multiple helicopters to help suppress a 700-acre wildfire in the east of the US state
The Maryland Army National Guard offered aerial firefighting support in the suppression of a 700-acre brush fire at the Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area in Baltimore County, Maryland.
Civil authorities requested support from the National Guard’s 29th Combat Aviation Brigade on Tuesday evening. One UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, equipped with a 660-gallon bucket was dispatched to the incident, and was used to collect water from the nearby Liberty Reservoir and drop it on the fire.
The Black Hawk carried out around a ‘dozen’ water drops before ending operations at sunset due to a lack of visibility.
Two UH-60s were later dispatched the next morning equipped with similar buckets and, over the subsequent two days, the aircrew performed approximately 45 water drops to contain and suppress the fire.
To reduce time away from aerial firefighting operations, Maryland Army National Guard soldiers set up a temporary fuel point at Camp Fretterd Military Reservation in nearby Reisterstown so helicopters would not have to return to their base at Weide Army Heliport at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Edgewood.
The Maryland National Guard also managed air operations in the temporary flight restriction zone, coordinating the Black Hawks, as well as helicopters dispatched by the Baltimore County Police, the Pennsylvania Forestry Service, and local news stations.
“The Baltimore County Fire Department’s success in preventing loss of life and property during this unprecedented wildfire is directly linked to the support of our public safety partners across the region,” said Baltimore County Fire Chief Joanne Rund. “The water drops executed by the Maryland National Guard aviation team have been critical to our ability to control and extinguish this fire.”
US state National Guards frequently provide aerial support to firefighting and search and rescue (SAR) operations – the Tennessee National Guard recently conducted joint training with state civilian agencies to support the rescue of lost hikers.