With fire season starting earlier each year and lasting longer, the state’s fleet of firefighting helicopters is being prepared for deployment across Washington.
The Department of Natural Resources’ eight Vietnam-era Bell UH-1H helicopters are older than the crews that fly them, but the acquisition price to the state is good, a no-cost loan from Uncle Sam. The department pays for fuel, operations and maintenance, which works out to about $1,600 an hour when they fly.
Dropping water on forest fires can be rugged work. But while these “Hueys” are old – the most senior helicopter in the DNR fleet came off the factory line in 1963 and did two tours in Vietnam, where it was shot down twice – they’re extremely reliable and spare parts are plentiful. Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz said Tuesday they are one of the reasons the state was able to keep 96 percent of the wildfires to 10 acres or less last year.