Air Force Academy: Forward Area Refueling Point

firefighting military helicopters
First Lt. Alicia Tigges, the officer in command of Echo Company 2-4, General Support Aviation Battalion/Distribution Platoon from Fort Carson Army Base, talks to a crew member from the National Guard Black Hawk helicopter at the Forward Area Refueling Point on the U.S. Air Force Academy Airfield in Colorado Springs, Colo. Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters are fighting forest fires in the Black Forest area, just north of Colorado Springs, Colo., June 12, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ray McCoy/”Released”)

The Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs is being used as a forward refueling point for the military helicopters working on the Black Forest Fire on the outskirts of the city. The helicopters being used are Chinooks, Lakotas, and Black Hawks.

firefighting military helicopters
Echo Company 2-4, General Support Aviation Battalion/Distribution Platoon from Fort Carson Army Base, set up a forward area refueling point at the U.S. Air Force Academy Airfield in Colorado Springs, Colo. Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters are fighting forest fires in the Black Forest area, just north of Colorado Springs, Colo., June 12, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ray McCoy/”Released”)
firefighting military helicopters
A Lakota helicopter fighting forest fires in the Black Forest area, just north of Colorado Springs, Colo., approaches the Forward Area Refueling Point set up by Echo Company 2-4, General Support Aviation Battalion/Distribution Platoon from Fort Carson Army Base at the U.S. Air Force Academy Airfield in Colorado Springs, Colo. The helicopter is assisting in the fight of forest fires in the Black Forest area just north of Colorado Springs, Colo., June 12, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ray McCoy/”Released”)
firefighting military helicopters
A Black Hawk helicopter fighting forest fires in the Black Forest area, just north of Colorado Springs, Colo., approaches a Forward Area Refueling Point set up by Echo Company 2-4, General Support Aviation Battalion/Distribution Platoon from Fort Carson Army Base at the U.S. Air Force Academy Airfield in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 12, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ray McCoy/”Released”)
firefighting helicopters
A Black Hawk helicopter from the National Guard fighting forest fires in the Black Forest area, just north of Colorado Springs, Colo., departs the Forward Area Refueling Point set up by Echo Company 2-4, General Support Aviation Battalion/Distribution Platoon from Fort Carson Army Base set up at the U.S. Air Force Academy Airfield in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 12, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ray McCoy/”Released”)

Black Forest Fire, Colorado Springs

DC-10 dropping on Black Forest Fire at 3:05 p.m. MT, June 12, 2013

(UPDATE at 9:25 a.m. MT, June 18, 2013)

The video below was shot by KKTV chief photojournalist Mike Petkash. It was posted Tuesday morning, June 18.

An update from the El Paso County Sheriff’s office lists 502 primary residences that were destroyed in the Black Forest Fire and another 18 with partial damage.

American Red Cross Disaster Assistance Teams are doing assessments within the fire perimeter. Utility crews continue assessing and securing service to residences for future re-entry. Excess resources are being released as incident objectives are being met. Firefighters continue to mop up and secure around structures to prevent further loss.

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(UPDATE at 11:47 a.m. MT, June 17, 2013)

A tweet from KKTV in Colorado Springs:

That is the first time I have heard of this happening — survivors from a massive, very destructive wildfire less than a year before hold a picnic for survivors of another even more destructive wildfire that occurred just a few miles away.

Thunderstorms on Sunday brought 0.11 inches of precipitation to the Black Forest Fire area, which aided firefighters in their mop up efforts. The storm also produced lightning that ignited three new fires in the burn area which were quickly suppressed by firefighters, according to Incident Commander Rich Harvey.

The size of the fire has been more accurately determined to be 14,280 acres; on Saturday it had been listed at 15,500 acres. The cost of fire suppression is estimated at $5.5 million and 4,100 people are still under mandatory evacuation orders. The Denver Post has a map showing evacuation areas and the locations of structures that have burned.

Firefighters are placing flagging at residences, and writing on it the the date, time, and the name of the crew that checked and mopped up the area.

Incident Commander Rich Harvey told CNN on Sunday, June 16:

The perimeter work is done, now we’re focused on coming interior and making sure that all the heat that could eventually create sparks that could get over our line are done — we call it mop up.

At an 11:15 a.m. MT briefing on Monday, IC Harvey said the fire is 75 percent contained. (More information about “containment”.)

A Monday morning news release from the IMTeam detailed some of their plans for the day:

A continuing threat exists to structures within the fire perimeter due to the potential for extreme fire behavior from gusty winds from developing thunderstorms. The potential for re-burn from remaining hot spots within the ground fuels remains a concern. Firefighters will continue to grid the fire area for hotspots, especially around structures.

A media tour scheduled for Monday morning during which members of the press were going to be transported around the fire in a bus was postponed and no new date was established.
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Maps of Colorado wildfires, June 11, 2013

Map of Colorado fires

(Originally posted at 5:18 p.m. MT, June 11, 2013; revised at 8:20 a.m. MT, June 12, 2013)

There are at least three major fires burning in Colorado.

This first map shows the general locations of three fires: Big Meadow in Rocky Mountain National Park, Black Forest near Colorado Springs, and Royal Gorge at Canon City southwest of Colorado Springs. The red squares represent the approximate location of heat detected by a satellite at 2:40 p.m. June 11, 2013.
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