FOR RELEASE: Friday, Sept. 11, 2020
CONTACT: Colorado National Guard Public Affairs, 720-250-1053, ng.co.coarng.list.militarysupport@mail.mil
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – Under Gov. Jared Polis’ Executive Order, the Colorado National Guard continues to support the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center, State Emergency Operations Center, and incident commanders for wildfire response in Colorado.
Colorado Army National Guard aviation assisted wildland firefighters with water bucket drops at the East Fork Fire, in Hanna, Colorado, the Williams Fork Fire, in Fraser, Colorado, and the Zirkel Fire, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The two UH-60 Black Hawk and one CH-47 Chinook helicopter aircrews dropped more than 300 buckets and logged more than 36 hours of flight time. The incident command released these assets Sept. 1, 2020.
“Our Colorado National Guard warriors have been assisting our partners to save lives and property during an intense wildfire season in Colorado,” The Adjutant General of Colorado U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Laura Clellan said. “We will bring to this fight our training and dual-use equipment as long as we’re needed.”
COARNG Soldiers from the 169th Field Artillery Brigade have supported the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office with traffic control points near the Cameron Peak Fire, west of Fort Collins, Colorado, since Aug. 22, 2020. This support includes four to seven TCPs, as directed by the incident commander, and more than 30 Soldiers working 24-hour operations.
The CONG's Mobile Testing and Training teams are also providing COVID-19 testing to wildland firefighters. As of Sept. 8, the teams tested nearly 300 firefighters supporting the Cameron Peak Fire and more than 220 supporting the Pine Gulch Fire.
A Black Hawk equipped with a hoist, remains on standby at the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site in Gypsum, Colorado, to help provide medical evacuation assistance, if there is a need.