In a case of bad timing, a helicopter purchased by the state for the specific purpose of fighting wildfires has been taken out of service in the middle of the summer fire season.
The “state of the art” Firehawk is undergoing required regular maintenance, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. An agency spokesperson told CBS Colorado the craft was taken out of service July 13 for thorough, mandated inspections.
Several wildfires were ignited by lightning strikes on Colorado Western Slope the same day the Firehawk was taken out of service. Four of the larger fires – the South Rim, Turner Gulch, Sowbelly and Deer Creek incidents – are still burning.
“We currently have 5 mechanics working on thisโฆ.inspection to get it back up and operational ASAP,” CDFPC’s Tracy LeClair stated. The normal duration of such inspections is several weeks, LeClair added.
“We are hoping for sooner than that,” LeClair stated. “They understand the urgency of getting us back up as soon as possible, without compromising safety.”
The Firehawk is a version of the military’s UH-70 Black Hawk built by Sikorsky. The Si70i’s wildfire conversion features a 1,000-gallon belly tank, extended landing gear, and a retractable snorkel that can refill the tank in less than a minute.
