When wildfire duty calls

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

HAYDEN When pilot Aldo Leonardi receives instructions on the next wildfire he'll attack, his mindset will go to those on scene.

"I work for the guys on the ground," Leonardi said, standing next to his "Fire Boss" airplane while waiting for his next assignment on Tuesday at the interagency airtanker base and dispatch center at the Coeur d'Alene Airport.

"When I see the paper (detailing the fire) coming, my heart starts to race. My mindset is that the guys are in trouble and need my help. We're not heroes, but doing our best to keep cool and calm and help out."

Firefighting aircraft takeoffs from the airport that the public sees are the last cog of the local multi-agency machine that assists with fighting the region's wildfires from the air.

Fire starts are reported to the dispatch center, which also updates on-the-ground fire crews twice daily on conditions, fires and the weather.

Outside at the airtanker base, "ramp rats" load airplanes and helicopters with retardant and assist pilots with logistics.

The Coeur d'Alene base assists mostly with fires from Missoula to Moses Lake and from LaGrande, Ore., to the Canadian border. However, the larger airtankers may travel as far as California and Billings.

The operation is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, but is also supported by agencies such as the Idaho Department of Lands, the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Parks Service, rural fire departments and contract aircraft companies.

"It takes a village to run it," said Stan Goode, airtanker base manager.

July through October is considered this region's wildfire season. Countrywide, wildfire seasons typically start in the Southeast, followed by the Southwest and then the Northwest.

As of Tuesday, 90,327 gallons of retardant from the local base had been used on wildfires. Last year 208,000 gallons were used and in 2015, 1.7 million, a record for all bases in the region that includes North Idaho, Montana and parts of North Dakota.

"We flew 98,000 gallons in one day in 2015," said Goode, referring to the year marked by the Cape Horn Fire near Bayview. "Our biggest day this year was 25,000 gallons."

The average year is about 175,000 gallons.

"We're looking at an average to slightly-above-average season this year," Goode said.

Many Northwest wildfires are caused by lightning strikes, but campfires left smoldering are now becoming another major cause, said Shoshana Cooper, Forest Service spokeswoman. In other regions, arson is a leading cause.

Since Coeur d'Alene is on the far west side of Region 1, it often flies retardant to Regions 6 (Washington and Oregon) and 4 (southern Idaho, Nevada and Utah).

"It's about the closest resource and what is most effective to the taxpayer," Goode said.

Fire crews and managers from the various agencies travel to other regions to assist where the wildfire hotspots are.

"You chase the fire seasons," Goode said.

Goode, for example, assisted with fires in Arizona earlier this year before heading for his own territory's wildfire season.

"You build relationships with other regions, so, when the time comes, you can surround yourself with help and think about the big picture in your own region," he said. "It's a big family. We enjoy going to other places to help other people in need."

Helicopter pilot Simon Miedema said the cohesiveness is what he enjoys most about working out of the base.

"It's not pilot-crew; it's all as one and working together," he said.

Seth Hamilton, manager of the helicopter section for the Idaho Department of Lands, said aerial fire crews feel and appreciate the community's support.

"It's good to know that you're wanted in places," he said. "It's unfortunate that sometimes homes are lost, but people are generally pretty understanding that there's only so much we can do."

Since bases have personnel from all across the country, they're a haven for good-spirited conversations and jabs on topics ranging from sports to accents during waits for the next wildfire assignment. A visible sign of togetherness at the local base is a wire spool table with business cards, stickers and other odds-and-ends items from the 2015 season laminated into the top.

But those cool-down times of chatter, foosball and basketball at the airtanker base quickly turn to strictly business when Goode delivers a wildfire situational report and call to action.

"We do try to keep it as low-stress as possible when the pilots are here because it can be stressful out there," Goode said. "But they know that when they see me with a paper (detailing a fire), it's time to go to work."

Single-engine pilot Chris Bohan added: "It can be dull when you're not flying, but when the bell goes off it's high adrenaline until you land."

Afternoons, considered the "heat of the day" in wildfire world as well, tend to be busier at the base than mornings. "Pumpkin time" — when all aircraft must return to base — is half an hour after sunset.

Goode said this is the last year the P2V aircraft, which holds 2,080 gallons of retardant and was used during the Korean War, will be used under government contract for firefighting. The future, and what has been used increasingly in recent years, is the Next Generation jet that holds 3,000 gallons.

Next Generation aircraft can respond much quicker, Goode said.

"An airtanker in Boise can be here in about 45 minutes," he said.

Single-engine airtankers, which hold 800 gallons, and helicopters, which hold 300 gallons and are critical for mountain fires that are common in North Idaho, also fly from the local base.

"We have a lot of tools in our tool box to throw at fires," Goode said.

Leonardi said as a firefighting pilot, there can be other hurdles to worry about besides the fires themselves.

When he dips his airplane into a lake to fill it with water, he said he's had boaters and jet skiers come too close for comfort to get a better look at what he was doing.

"We don't want to spoil people's fun, but I've had close calls with jet skiers," he said. "All it takes is to cut in front of me at the wrong time."

While Leonardi said he hasn't had a close call of being grounded by a drone ingested in the engine, other pilots have, including one recently in Washington.

Drones flown by hobbyists, he said, have suspended some air firefighting operations due to safety concerns.

"If you fly, we can't," he said. "And who gets hurt? The guys on the ground. Not fair."

At the dispatch center, which is staffed 24-7, the atmosphere is similar to the airtanker base in terms of the wildfire season work flow.

"Feast or famine," said Gary Weber, the center's assistant manager. "We're here to connect the dots to get people where they need to go."

A status report on the incidents and weather is read to ground fire crews each morning and afternoon from the center. Logistics on requests for equipment and supplies is also handled at the center.

Dispatcher Beth Crowell said being a part of the wildland firefighting process is rewarding.

"Knowing that you're helping those in the field out is a huge privilege," she said.