Arkansas Forestry Commission (AFC) personnel and members of the Newport Fire Department met Wednesday at Newport Municipal Airport for training on reloading water into the holding tanks of the 802 single engine air tankers stationed at Harrison, Hot Springs and Batesville Airports. The training is to prepare for the Spring 2010 fire season. The AFC also trained firefighters at Jonesboro Municipal Airport, Kirk Field Airport in Paragould and the Rector Municipal Airport.
The single-engine air tankers (SEATs) provided by Western Pilot Service can carry up to 800 gallons of water and are used in addition to the efforts of firefighters on the ground to contain wildfires.
More than 39 loads of water have been dropped on fires in Arkansas since the aircraft were put into service on February 1.
The AFC has been awarded an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) grant through the US Forest Service for wildfire hazard reduction on property in Arkansas impacted by the ice storm of January 2009. Four hundred thousand of the $3.6 million grant will be used to provide increased aerial wildfire suppression.
AFC personnel have suppressed 316 fires that have burned an estimated 4,763 acres since January 1. For more information about current wildfire conditions in Arkansas, visit www.arkfireinfo.org. To report a wildfire, call 1-800-468-8834.ing to work and give their time to prepare," Miller said.
The task of preparing for the contest begins in the fall, and more time is devoted to the team as the event nears.
Newport, Ark. —
