An Alaska Fire Helicopter Heads South: NPS Crews Help Fight Washington Wildfires, 2023

In late August 2023, the National Park Service's Alaska Region did something it had never done before: it sent one of its exclusive-use fire helicopters, with crew, to help fight large wildfires in the Lower 48.

The interagency module — Park Service Eastern Area, Western Area and BLM Alaska Fire Service staff — with pilot, mechanic and fuel truck driver. Photo: Matt Desimone, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park fire management officer.

A late Alaska season

Alaska's fire season ran unexpectedly late in 2023. From late July into August, both of the Park Service's exclusive-use fire helicopters in the state — the Eastern Area helicopter based in Fairbanks and the Western Area helicopter based at Denali Park — extended their contracts to help the State of Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection and the BLM Alaska Fire Service with many ongoing fires.

When seasonal rains finally arrived in late August, the Eastern Area helicopter, staffed by Park Service Eastern and Western Area crews and BLM Alaska Fire Service, flew south to support the Park Service's Pacific West Region.

At North Cascades

Hosted by North Cascades National Park at Marblemount, Washington, the AS350 B3 Type 3 helicopter worked mainly on the Sourdough Fire, and also flew missions monitoring nearby wildfires in the wilderness of Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest.

A Western Area crew member is briefed on the Mount Rainier–North Cascades helitack module's short-haul equipment and procedures. Credit: National Park Service.

The Alaska crew cross-trained with North Cascades fire staff, fire managers, climbing rangers, the Mount Rainier–North Cascades (MOCA) Helitack Module and others on the Sourdough Fire. Those relationships let them take on a range of aviation and ground fire missions.

One of many scenic landing areas in the Pacific West Region. Credit: National Park Service.

Why it matters

The deployment gave staff valuable experience and showed a model for how the Park Service can move firefighting resources between regions, Alaska included, to wherever and whenever they are needed most.

Park Service Alaska wildland fire staff tag a line under the helicopter. Credit: National Park Service.

Sources

Based on "NPS Alaska exclusive use helicopter provides fire support to NPS Pacific West Region," National Park Service; a work of the United States government in the public domain.