New firefighting base opens in Wyoming, USA

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the US Forest Service, and the Wyoming State Forestry Division have come together to improve aerial firefighting capabilities out of the base at the Casper-Natrona County International Airport.

The new base cost US$6.2 million, funded by the Forest Service, which contributed $2 million to support large air tankers, and $4.2 million from the BLM.

The single engine airtanker (SEAT) base first opened in 2020. With increasing risks of wildfires causing widespread danger and destruction, the BLM has focused on upgrading its bases nationwide.

Craig Short, BLM Fire Management Officer for the High Plains District, said: “We see longer seasons, larger, more destructive fires that drastically damage watersheds, ecosystems, critical species and infrastructure, as well as threaten our communities and, often, our livelihoods.”

The two SEATs stationed at the base can now be loaded at the same time, each can hold up to 800gal of fire retardant or water to aid fire crews on the ground in suppression efforts.

The new base now also supports large airtankers that can hold between 2,000–4,000gal of fire retardant or water, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Mark Haines, Chief of Powder River Fire District in southern Johnson County, observed: “If it’s in the mountains, our time to go up the mountain to attack a fire – being that a roadless area is 95% of our coverage – these will help check a fire until we can get crews or engines on a fire.” He noted that the access to the aircraft were “essential”.

In Autumn last year, two US healthcare systems – Cody Regional Health and St Vincent Healthcare – launched a new air ambulance service in Wyoming.