Updated 3:56 p.m. MDT July 22, 2022
More information is available about the helicopter crash in Idaho.
Both pilots have died, the U.S. Forest Service said on Friday.
Mary Cernicek with the Salmon-Challis National Forest said Thomas Hayes, 41, of Post Falls, Idaho, and Jared Bird, 36, of Anchorage, Alaska, died from injuries they sustained when their CH-47D Series Chinook crashed in the Salmon River about 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
The pilots were employees of the Anchorage-based ROTAK Helicopter Services and were working on the Moose Fire northwest of Salmon, Idaho.
7:52 a.m. MDT July 22, 2022
Thursday afternoon a CH-47D Chinook helicopter operated by ROTAK Helicopter Services crashed into the Salmon River while working on the Moose Fire northwest of Salmon, Idaho. The US Forest Service reported Friday morning there were two fatalities.
The company released a brief statement Thursday evening.
It is with heavy hearts that we confirm that on July 21, 2022, at approximately 3:30 p.m. a CH-47D series “Chinook” helicopter operated by ROTAK Helicopter Service with two pilots on board was involved in an accident near Salmon, Idaho. Emergency medical teams are responding to the scene. ROTAK is working closely with all appropriate agencies and will issue a full statement as information is confirmed.
We send out our sincere condolences to the families, friends, and co-workers of the two that were killed.
Growth of the fire
The Moose Fire grew incrementally on Friday, showing growth on all sides, primarily south of the Salmon River on the west and east sides. Very little growth occurred north of the river.
A mapping flight Thursday night determined it had burned 23,620 acres, an increase of nearly 3,000 acres. Much of that difference was due to an overnight change in procedure, a decision to not consider in the acreage the unburned islands in the interior. Previously the size of those islands had been subtracted from the total exterior perimeter.
Weather
The forecast for Friday afternoon is for increasing winds, gusting out of the west and then northwest at 31 mph with the relative humidity in the mid-teens. After sunset the wind will drop to about 6 mph out of the north. Saturday should bring 5 to 8 mph winds out of the south shifting to the north, with 13 percent relative humidity.
Firefighters expect the weather on Friday could lead to spread south of the Salmon River west towards Spring Creek, east towards North Fork, and spotting to the north side of the river.
Resources
Resources assigned to the fire Thursday evening included 18 hand crews, 25 fire engines, and 7 helicopters for a total of 517 personnel, a 24-hour increase of 141 individuals.
Structures
There are no reports of structures burning, but 301 are threatened. Evacuation information is available at the Lemhi County website.
The mighty Salmon claims a couple more brave and selfless souls. The Hotshots that swam the rivers currents in a rescue attempt deserve the Presidential Medal of Freedom and/or Office of the Secretary of the Defense Medal for Valor.
What they did was nothing short of herooc conduct!!!!
Rest easy and fair winds, Aviators.
I believe crating youth work camps during with forrest service personal during the summer and improvising natural barriers so controlled burns could be done in early spring in high risk areas without risking life and personal property.
Brave men and women Rest in Peace!
I thank God for all those who have fought in peace and in war and lay down heir lives to protect my family and myself and all other sources of life. These are the people we should be honoring and thanking on a daily basis.
Society should be focused on giving to these individuals all the equipment and monies they need to do their job and be able to save their own lives while saving ours.
Hey Martha Bibb, really?? ALL research shows that fire can’t be stopped by human efforts, you say? So, some opinion writer, blogger, or news reporter wrote something you read? Was this factual research? You must have spent years reading “all research”. Would love to read something attached to your remark. I also don’t know if you are currently, or a former fire fighter, helicopter pilot, or what, but from a former fire fighting helicopter pilot for over 25 years, I’m feeling that you are not informed. My experience makes your word “all” incorrect. During my years of firefighting, I have personally extinguished or helped to control/contain many, many fires with my Lama or Bell-407 helicopter, or with a group of helicopters – that’s what we did – Air Attack. The concept is extremely effective every fire season all over the world. Martha, those are facts. Countless numbers of people are rescued by helicopter pilots – animals rescued by helicopter pilots – homes and properties saved by Air Tanker pilots and helicopter pilots, again, world wide. And Martha, there’s not enough room or time to write about the smoke jumpers and the firefighters on the ground. Then you say the loss of those two professional helicopter pilots was “unnecessary and wasteful”. So disrespectful !!!
Hi Minnie, Not sure how long you’ve lived there in North Fork, but if you were there in 1985, you’d remember the Long Tom Complex Fire just outside of Indianola. That fire and that helitack base was my first fire-fighting assignment. I came to relieve my good friend Dave Walton who was the contract pilot at Indianola and I did that for many fire seasons thereafter. He and his wife Linda lived up on Fourth of July Creek. In 1994 he was killed in a non-fire-fighting related helicopter crash and a memorial plaque was placed at the Indianola Heli-tack Base in his memory. Certainly, along with the two repellers memorials, another two should be placed for Captain’s Hayes and Bird.
My friend PJ Smith who was the Heli-tack Foreman there for . . . .forever, recently told me that the “Ranger Station” was de-commissioned. Not sure what can be done about a location for memorials.
Thanks for your post Minnie. Indianola R.S. is a very, very special place and I will think of it often.
Martha probably works for FSEEE.
What an absolutely ridiculous post by Martha. Especially after a crash.
RIP boys.
Thanks Gary.
Talk about tone-deaf.
You aren’t wrong
Martha, what do you suggest we do for non-human caused fires(lightening)? Do you have sources to that research? I’ve been on many fires where we(humans) stopped and put out fires. Not “God” or rain. Is there a “fire/industrial complex for city fires? Many of those firefighters die every year too, in this inherently dangerous job.
Minnie, do you know exactly where the helicopter went down? Was it dipping water at the time? Or did it experience mechanical trouble and the pilot chose to ditch in the river?
So sorry for the families who lost their loved ones.
Another waste of human life by the fire/industrial complex. All research shows that fire can’t be stopped by human efforts in these climate change and topographic conditions. Only control of human caused ignitions can be effective.
So sad and unnecessary and wasteful of human life.
Martha, how do you stop human, unintended, caused fires? Education yes, but ppl unless they live in an area aren’t as concerned as they might be if this was in their backyard. This accident is at Indianola, a Forest Service station 12 miles from our home along the Salmon River Road. I drove this route to get to Salmon yesterday from farther downstream. It’s devastating to see all that’s burned so far. This is the 3rd major fire in the past 22 years here, tho the other two weren’t man caused, the Clear Creek Fire in 2000 (375K acres), and Mustang Fire in 2012 (302K acres).
Indianola has a memorial for two rappellers who died, we may see another one for the devastating loss of these two pilots yesterday. We feel for all other firefighting personnel who were there yesterday too in witness and to help try and rescue these two men. My heart goes out to their families.
I don’t believe they have stated yet if there was a loss of life.
Martha, what do you suggest we do for non-human caused fires(lightening)? Do you have sources to that research? I’ve been on many fires where we(humans) stopped and put out fires. Not “God” or rain. Is there a “fire/industrial complex for city fires? Many of those firefighters die every year too, in this inherently dangerous job.
Martha S Bibb,
You should have concluded your comment after the first sentence.
Agreed. Best intentions and all mean nothing when followed by “but” and some Bs comment.
Fire/industrial Complex
News to me I did the work for 32 years and never considered it. There may be some on the private side that make excessive profit from Wildfire but it’s a very small number. The people that wasted their lives were heroes and like all that fell before them we are greatful to have served with them. Some fires shouldn’t be aggressively fought when the risk is to great. Perhaps we need to change the priority 1. Life, 2. Resources 3. Property.
Rest in peace
Um where is your research coming from!? If it wasn’t for our wild land firefighters, we would be in so much trouble. They are well trained and amazing individuals, accidents happen in every profession. I for one am so grateful for their dedication and sacrifice. They are 100% needed!!