PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – In an effort to mitigate the danger to personnel and property caused by the Black Forest fire, local military bases here in the Colorado Springs area are providing support to local, state and federal authorities.
The support is provided through several authorities including mission assignments, immediate response authority and mutual aid agreements. Photos of local military support can be found at
DVIDS HUB and specific details about the military’s support can be found below.
U.S. Air Force Academy:
- Five trucks and 16 firefighters ( Two structure engines, one brush truck, one water tender, one command vehicle)
- Support to the incident management team
- Emergency Family Assistance Control Center for DoD personnel
Peterson Air Force Base & Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station:
- Two – Type 1 (structure) pumpers
- Two support trucks
- 13 firefighters
- Shelter for Department of Defense personnel on Peterson AFB
Buckley Air Force Base:
- 5,000 gallon water tender + two person crew
Fort Carson:
- Two Type 6 (brush truck) and three water tenders with 9 personnel
- Two CH47 with bambi buckets
- Two UH60 with bambi buckets
- Four D-7 bulldozers on the scene cutting firebreaks on the north side of the fire
- Shelter for Department of Defense personnel on Fort Carson
- Refueling point for military helicopters at USAFA (operated by Ft Carson & serving both active and National Guard helicopters)
- Tactical Command Post at the Incident Command
- Forward Air Traffic Controllers
- Command and Control aircraft for the Incident Commander
302nd Airlift Wing:
- Two C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS)
- These two aircraft and their crew have flown a combined 12.1 hours, conducted 14 air drops and released more than 37,500 gallons of retardant to date.
- Aircraft operating as the 731st EAS
Colorado National Guard:
- 120 personnel at 17 security checkpoints in Black Forest area
- 20 personnel providing various types of assistance at the incident
- National Guard Communications Element (4-personnel)
- High-clearance trucks and water tenders (5 vehicles; 14 personnel)
- 3 UH-60s with bambi buckets have dropped over 110,000 gallons to date
- 1 LUH-72 Lakota helicopter equipped for aerial firefighting coordination
Additional Information:
Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Peter J. Byrne has been appointed Dual-Status Commander and will work with fire incident commanders. This arrangement allows a single military Joint Task Force to provide command and control for all military forces (Active, Reserve & Guard) supporting the fire.
US military installations are providing residential firefighting engines and crews to allow additional local personnel to respond to the fire. That support includes:
- An engine and crew from Ft Carson to Colorado Springs Fire Department
- An engine and crew from Schriever AFB to Ellicott Fire Department
- An engine and crew from F.E. Warren AFB to Peterson AFB
USNORTHCOM is the joint combatant command formed in the wake of the Sept.11, 2001 terrorist attacks to provide homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities. USNORTHCOM provides DOD capabilities for disaster response operations in support of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Interagency Fire Center, and state and local officials.