High Country Adventures: Behind the scenes look at wildfire training in Colorado
Julia Donovan
LONGMONT, Colo. (KRDO) – Wildfire danger is top of mind ahead of what officials are forecasting to be an unusually active season. KRDO 13’s Julia Donovan caught a ride on a military Black Hawk helicopter during wildfire training up in Northern Colorado to learn more about the efforts crews are making to prepare, and how you can help make their job a little easier.
KRDO13 Reporter Julia Donovan flying in a military Black Hawk helicopter
From massive buckets that carry upwards of one thousand gallons of water, to much-needed walkie-talkies, hundreds of firefighters and military personnel packed up and headed to the hills outside of Longmont Thursday, with the mentality that practice makes perfect.
When it comes to wildfire season in Colorado, mistakes can be costly – and not just monetarily.
It’s their job to try and keep flames from taking lives. Firefighters also need to keep track of the weather, including wind direction, to keep themselves safe.
“Weather is great right now. It’s going to be awesome for the morning,” Eric Shelton with the Colorado National Guard addressed his team early Thursday. “As stuff does start to build up and roll in, make sure we’re communicating with each other. We want to make sure that we’re making the right decision.”
Local fire officials told KRDO they’re expecting an impactful wildfire season, considering snowpack levels in the mountains are lower than normal, so grass and other fuel are likely to dry out quicker.
Local and U.S. Forest Service Firefighters team up for training in NoCo
Firefighters say you can help prevent fires by adhering to local burn bans and fire weather warnings. They also warn drone pilots not to fly when firefighting aircraft are up. And, they say if you see a helicopter filling up its bucket in a reservoir, stay away!