DRAPER, Utah – Utah National Guard Soldiers are supporting wildfire response efforts across Utah, putting specialized aviation capabilities to work alongside local and government firefighting agencies as wildfires continue to challenge communities across the state.
Supporting the response is the 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, or GSAB, which is flying UH-60 Black Hawks over the Rocky Canyon Fire in Morgan County, conducting water bucket drops to help slow the fire’s spread.
“We have two UH-60 Black Hawks and aircrew members and support personnel who are helping with fire suppression activities on this fire,” said Lt. Col. Penny McCarthy, commander of the 2-211th GSAB.
The battalion began wildfire support Aug. 5 after being notified it would assist with the Black Canyon Fire in Sanpete County. After several days, the mission shifted to the Rocky Canyon Fire in Morgan County. When local authorities request assistance, the Utah National Guard is activated through the state Department of Emergency Management and the governor’s office to support emergency response efforts.
“We stand ready to support our state when these type of incidents occur,” McCarthy said.
Once the call comes, Soldiers quickly transition from training to real-world operations. For the pilots and aircrews flying over the Rocky Canyon Fire, that means long days, multiple flights and repeated water bucket drops. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris Aylstock, a pilot supporting the mission in Morgan County, said crews are working about 12-hour shifts, with pilots sometimes spending seven to eight hours in the air.
“We fly out there, get gas, get the word to launch, get on the fire, do a full fuel cycle, come back, get gas, shove a sandwich down the throat, go back out and do another fuel cycle,” he said.
The demanding schedule requires careful planning and continuity between crews. Pilots are rotated through the mission while maintaining overlap between shifts so crews arriving for duty understand the fire and the operation’s current status.
“We try to have at least five pilots doing some kind of overlap each day,” Aylstock said. “That way we just have some experience going from one day to the next.”
It takes a whole unit to keep the aircraft in the fight. Each helicopter undergoes meticulous maintenance to ensure effectiveness.
“We have our maintainers back at West Jordan turning wrenches and working overtime to get these aircraft ready to launch each morning,” Aylstock said. “This really is an all hands on deck push to get these crews out the door. Before each day’s mission, crews receive updated maps, frequencies and information about the fire before launching from their staging location.”
Each morning, crews fly from West Jordan to Morgan County, conduct an operational briefing with fire managers and receive the information they need to integrate into the larger firefighting effort safely. Utah National Guard helicopters use 530-gallon buckets to drop water on areas identified by fire managers.
Aylstock said the aircraft supports the priorities of the incident commanders with direct attacks on the fire, supporting backburn operations and pretreating vegetation with water and structure protection, all while working in conjunction with other aerial assets and ground crews.
The operation requires constant coordination with other aircraft. Air tankers and helicopters share the same airspace, requiring Guard crews to adjust their timing and routes throughout the day. When air tankers enter the area, helicopter crews may be required to hold until the airspace is cleared so they can resume their water drops.
The distance between the water source, staging area and fire can also affect how many drops a crew can make during a shift. Aylstock said one of his flight days included 48 bucket drops, with crews adjusting their operations as the fire and mission changed.
The Guard’s ability to perform these missions is the result of preparation that begins months before wildfire season.
“Our battalion has firefighting capability. It is something that we practice ... all the way up until our fire season starts on 1 April, so that we are prepared to respond to any kind of incident,” McCarthy said.
“We do a lot of coordination with our partners from the Department of Natural Resources, the United States Forest Service and local agencies, to gain education and coordination so that we’re best prepared for fires when our firefighting season kicks off,” she added.
Aircrews also conduct flight evaluations and training specifically designed to prepare them for firefighting missions. Aylstock said pilots assigned to serve as fire pilots typically have extensive flight experience, and the unit deliberately rotates experienced pilots through the mission to build depth across the battalion.
For the crews flying the Rocky Canyon Fire, the long hours and demanding conditions are balanced by the knowledge that their work directly supports communities in their own state.
“One of the most important things that we do on these fires, of course, is preserving life, preserving property and easing human suffering,” McCarthy said. “And it just hits different when it’s our neighbors.”
Some Soldiers in the battalion live in or have family members in communities affected by wildfires, making the mission particularly personal.
“It’s really important for us; it’s a tremendous honor for us to be able to support the firefighting efforts when we're called upon, especially when it's just right in our own backyard,” McCarthy said.