CLARKSBURG, Mass. - An Army Aviation crew and Black Hawk helicopter from the Massachusetts Army National Guard stationed out of Westfield/Barnes Airport responded Thursday to a fire in Clarksburg State Forest.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security initiated the request and the Massachusetts Army National Guard executed the mission in support of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Fire Warden.
The unit trains annually with the DCR District Fire Warden in Western Massachusetts specifically for missions of this nature.
According to the Berkshire (Mass.) Eagle, the fire drew more than 70 firefighters and 15 command staff from numerous departments from Berkshire County and southern Vermont.
Incident commander and Clarksburg Fire Chief Carlyle “Chip” Chesbro Jr. said the Black Hawk flew multiple trips over several hours ferrying water to the fire from a reservoir. Each bucket used by the Guard helicopter held 500 gallons of water and weighed about 4,165 pounds, Chesbro said.
State fire investigators were looking into the cause of the blaze, the Eagle said.