The map above shows the fire perimeters (the red line) that were detected by a fixed-wing infrared mapping flight at 10:22 p.m. MT, July 2, 2012. The red squares represent heat detected by a satellite at 12:50 p.m. MT, July 3, 2012. The White Draw fire is on the left, and the Parker Peak fire is on the right. The fires are five to eight miles northeast of Edgemont, SD.
Wyoming Hotshots, White Draw Fire, July 2, 2012
Brian Scott, spokesperson for the fire, told us at 5:25 p.m. on Tuesday that today fire crews have been busy conducting planned burnouts to help tie in some fire lines on the White Draw fire. It has also expanded on the north, he said, and is putting up a large amount of smoke.
Monday night the Incident Management Team called the fire 50% contained and said it had burned 4,950 acres.
After a much dryer and warmer than normal spring, firefighters are dealing with flashy fuels that ignite rapidly. Hazardous steep terrain and rattlesnakes are added additional “watch out” conditions for them to deal with.
Parker Peak Fire, July 2, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert
Update at 10:08 a.m. MT, July 4, 2012:
It is apparent from some comments left on this article that we were misinformed by the Northern Rockies Type 2 Incident Management Team’s press release. While smokejumpers did jump on the Parker Peak fire on Monday, three of our readers said this did NOT make history.
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(Original article, July 3, 2012)
Smokejumpers made history yesterday. For the first time ever, they jumped on a fire in South Dakota. I was taking photos in the general area and saw a jump plane overhead and heard him on the radio saying he was returning to Grand Junction, but I didn’t imagine that it had just kicked out a load of smokejumpers on the Parker Peak fire — a fire that you can easily drive to that already had several engines hard at work. I thought maybe a jump plane was substituting for an Aerial Supervision Module….or something. But, when firefighting resources are stretched thin, all help, even especially smokejumper help, is appreciated. (Just kidding folks!)
The Parker Peak fire is burning just a couple of miles east of the White Draw fire northeast of Edgemont, South Dakota, and south of the Highway 86/18 junction. This morning, Bob Fry’s Northern Rockies Type II IMT assumed command of the fire. It is 10% contained, has burned 800 acres and has 70 personal assigned, in addition to one Type 1 crew, one Type 2 crew, five engines, and one dozer. Five structures and two outbuildings are threatened by the fire.
The North Carolina National Guard has released the names of the C-130 crewmembers who were killed when their MAFFS air tanker crashed in South Dakota on Sunday.
Dead are Lt. Col. Paul K. Mikeal, 42, of Mooresville, N.C.; Maj. Joseph M. McCormick, 36, of Belmont, N.C.; Maj. Ryan S. David, 35, of Boone, N.C.; Senior Master Sgt. Robert S. Cannon, 50, of Charlotte.
“Words can’t express how much we feel the loss of these airmen,” said Brig. Gen. Tony McMillan, 145 AW commander. “Our prayers are with their families, as well as our injured brothers as they recover.”
Mikeal was assigned to the 156th Airlift Squadron as an evaluator pilot and had more than 20 years of service. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
McCormick was an instructor pilot and chief of training for the 156th Airlift Squadron. He was married with four children.
David was an experienced navigator and was also assigned to the 156th. He joined the North Carolina Air National Guard in 2011 after prior service in the active-duty U.S. Air Force. He is survived by his wife and one child.
Cannon had more than 29 years with the Charlotte unit and was a flight engineer with the 145th Operations Support Flight. He was married with two children.
The names of the injured will not be released. Both of the injured airmen remain hospitalized.
The crew and its aircraft along with two other 145th C-130s and three dozen airmen flew from Charlotte to Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., Saturday to assist with fighting forest fires in the Rocky Mountain region. They were due to move to a base in Cheyenne, Wyoming on Monday. The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. MT near Edgemont, South Dakota as the crew was dropping retardant on the White Draw fire. The cause of the crash is unknown and is under investigation.
MAFFS air tankers at Peterson Air Force Base June 25, 2012. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas Doscher
(This article was modified to show that one of the MAFFS units was released to return home, leaving six that are still operating.)
Following the fatal crash of one of the military MAFFS air tankers in South Dakota on Sunday, six of the seven remaining MAFFS C-130s are back in operation today after being shut down on Monday to review flying and safety procedures. The aircraft that crashed was from the North Carolina Air National Guard and the other ship from that unit was released to return home. The Department of Defense has still not released much information about the crash except to say that it occurred, and that there were casualties.
The next of kin has been notified and the North Carolina Air National Guard will hold a news conference today at 2:30 p.m. ET during which more details will be announced.
The C-130 air tanker, designated as MAFFS #7, crashed on Sunday while assigned to the White Draw Fire northeast of Edgemont, South Dakota.
The MAFFS, or Modular Airborne FireFighting System, aircraft have a 3,000-gallon retardant system that can be loaded into the cargo hold so that it can temporarily function as an air tanker to provide surge capacity if all of the privately contracted air tankers are committed.
The White House released this statement yesterday from President Obama:
Statement by the President on Last Night’s Crash of North Carolina Air National Guard C-130
Yesterday, a military C-130 from the North Carolina Air National Guard crashed while supporting firefighting efforts in South Dakota. The full details are still under investigation, but the crew of this flight – along with their families and loved ones – are in our thoughts and prayers. The men and women battling these terrible fires across the West put their lives on the line every day for their fellow Americans.
The airmen who attack these fires from above repeatedly confront dangerous conditions in an effort to give firefighters on the ground a chance to contain these wildfires – to save homes, businesses, schools, and entire communities. They are heroes who deserve the appreciation of a grateful nation. I know Americans across the country share my concern for the well-being of the surviving members of the crew and my deep condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. And I know that Americans join me in expressing my deepest gratitude for the selfless determination they and thousands of men and women involved in this fight in states across the country demonstrate every day.
White Draw Fire as seen from Red Canyon, July 2, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert, all rights reserved. Click HERE to get your own framed copy.
On Monday I visited the White Draw Fire in the southern Black Hills northeast of Edgemont, South Dakota. I inspected the fire, which was fairly active, and shot these photos. Type 1 crews, including the Wyoming Hot Shots, were holding and burning out line in Red Canyon. The fire spread quite a bit to the north during the last couple of days due to strong winds, and it was backing and flanking down the east-facing slopes on the west side of Red Canyon — at times rather vigorously.
White Draw Fire, July 2, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert. All rights reserved.
Below is the official update on the fire provided by the Incident Management Team Monday evening:
White Draw Fire Update – 50% Containment
Edgemont, SD: The fire behavior was less significant today than the last two days. Active surface fire and some short crown runs were observed today. However, successful burnout operations took place to secure the fire lines on the flank of the fire. A helicopter supported the burnout operations with water drops. The work today along with a productive night operations allowed the level of containment to reach 50%.
The fire is 4,950 acres. Currently, there are 292 personnel including two type 1 hand crews (20 people each), five type 2 hand crews, 21 crews associated with engines, 3 dozers, and six water tenders. More crews and equipment have been ordered.
Tonight, the night operation will consist mainly of patrolling and holding the fire line that was constructed during the day.
22 structures and 31 outbuildings continue to be threatened by the fire.
After a much dryer and warmer than normal spring, firefighters are dealing with flashy fuels that ignite rapidly. Hazardous steep terrain and rattlesnakes are added additional “watch out” conditions for them to deal with.
The White Draw Fire is located approximately five miles northeast of Edgemont, burning primarily on National Forest lands in a mix of grasslands and timber.
Wyoming Hot Shots on the White Draw Fire, July 2, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert. All Rights reserved.White Draw Fire, July 2, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert. All rights reserved.
If you like the first photo, you can get your own framed copy HERE.
MAFFS 7 departs North Carolina June 30, 2012 for Peterson AFB. Photo by Tech Sgt Brian Christiansen
The United States Northern Command and the U.S. Forest Service have released more information about yesterday’s South Dakota crash of a C-130 aircraft outfitted with a Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS), enabling it to function as an air tanker.
The USFS said there were two survivors and four fatalities. Yesterday Black Hills FOX News reported that the two survivors were picked up by helicopter from the crash site and flown to the Custer airport. From there one was flown by a life flight helicopter to a hospital in Rapid City and the other went by ground ambulance to the hospital.
The C-130 was identified as MAFFS #7 from the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 145th Airlift Wing based at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and was working on the White Draw Fire about five miles northeast of Edgemont in the southwest corner of South Dakota. The accident, which occurred at 6:00 or 6:30 p.m. MT, is, of course, being investigated, and the cause has not been released, but the USFS provided some information:
A BLM ASM [Aerial Supervision Module] platform was also engaged as a lead [plane] with the C130 when the accident occurred. The ASM/Lead experienced a severe downdraft while approaching the intended retardant drop zone with the C130 in trail. This is being investigated by the USFS as a separate Incident With Potential.
As sometimes happens after an aircraft accident, the remaining seven MAFFS-equipped C-130s are on an operational hold. The fleet will spend the day to get the MAFFS crews together to “reflect, reset and review,” said Col. Jerry Champlin, 153rd Air Expeditionary Group commander. “We all need to make sure our crews and planes will be ready to re-engage in the mission safely,” he added.
I searched some air tanker accident files, and was not able to find any record of fatal crashes of military-operated MAFFS air tankers, which were created after the record-breaking 1970 fire season.
The White Draw fire has burned 4,200 acres and is 30% contained. Monday morning there was so much wildfire smoke over a large portion of southwest South Dakota that two CV-580 air tankers on loan from Canada were not able to execute a request to drop retardant on the Parker Peak fire, a new fire about two miles east of the White Draw fire. They had to return to Rapid City and jettison the retardant before landing.
On Sunday, in addition to dropping on the White Draw fire, MAFFS air tankers were also working on the Oil Creek fire near Newcastle, WY, 39 miles northwest of the White Draw fire.
MAFFS #7 was one of four MAFFS ships scheduled to relocate on Monday from Peterson Air Force base at Colorado Springs to Wyoming Air National Guard’s base in Cheyenne, in order to reduce the turn-around time for reloading with retardant while working the fires in Wyoming and South Dakota.
The video below shows some of the operations at the Custer airport related to the accident.
(The video is no longer available.)
The one-minute video below includes Black Hills Fox’s Sunday night coverage of the crash.
(The video is no longer available.)
Our sincere condolences go out to the families and other members of the North Carolina Air National Guard.
