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News | June 13, 2013

Department of Defense provides assistance in Colorado fires

By NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – Federal assistance is being provided in the effort against fires currently burning in Southern Colorado. The following support is being provided through formal requests for forces, immediate response authority or mutual aid agreements:

U.S. Air Force Academy:

- Support to the incident management team
- Two trucks and nine firefighters

Peterson Air Force Base & Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station:

- Two Type 1 pumpers
- Ten 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) pumpers and one water tender with 9 personnel
- Two CH47 Totals: 33.5 Flying Hours 179 Buckets Estimate 243,000 Gallons
- Two UH60 Totals: 26.4 Flying Hours 180 Buckets Estimate 71,000 Gallons
- Four bulldozers on the scene cutting firebreaks on the north side of the fire
- Shelter for Department of Defense personnel on Fort Carson

302nd Airlift Wing:

- Two C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS)
- These two aircraft flew a combined 7.6 hours conducted ten air drops and released more than 25,000 gallons of retardant.

Additional Information:

Additionally, the Secretary of Defense approved the Colorado Governor's request for a Dual Status Commander. The DSC, if required by Incident Commander, could be activated on Friday, 14 Jun 13. This arrangement would allow a single military Joint Task Force to provide command and control for all military forces (Active, Reserve & Guard) supporting the fire. Brig Gen Peter Byrne, Colorado National Guard, would be the commander of the JTF.

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.

View DoD imagery here: DVIDS Hub