Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests Awarded Type-3 Helicoptor To Help Firefighters
Firefighters that have to deal with fires in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests will have a new tool this year. The U.S. Forest Service said there will be a type 3 firefighting helicopter available, exclusively to them, from mid-June until mid-September.According to the Coloradoan, the news came from a USFS news release.
The Type 3 firefighting helicopter, which is smaller than Type 1 tankers and can fly about 500 feet from the ground, will be available for the forests’ exclusive use from mid-June until mid-September...Type 3 helicopters can carry up to 100 gallons of water and have 4-8 passenger
With the severe outbreak of wildfires over the past couple of years, I'm sure this will be a welcome tool to help firefighters do what they need to do.
One of the reasons this chopper was approved was because last year's flooding damaged 232 roads throughout the forest areas. No road means no firetruck, hence the need for an accessible helicopter.
Some lawmakers are also pushing for the state to add more helicopters and an air tanker to the firefighting arsenal.