Base ready to fight fires from the sky

Rapid City, SD (KELO) — Rough terrain can pose significant challenges for firefighters.

This is why air support is so important.

An air tanker base at Rapid City Regional Airport is helping fight wildfires in the Black Hills region.

“Slowing this fire down, especially in hard-to-reach areas or areas where a fire crew or engines won’t be able to access for a period of time,” said Aircraft Base Manager Jarrod Hattervig- cisterns. “It really gives them a chance to go in and slow the progress of this fire enough to be able to put boots on the ground and put this fire out.”

The airport’s location ensures that there is space and fuel available for firefighting aircraft.

Specific chemicals that are mixed with water for air tankers to be dropped on these wildfires contribute to the process of water evaporation. They keep the ground under better control so firefighters can work during these wildfires.

“It’s a mixture of mostly water and basically a polyphosphate fertilizer that’s really similar to what’s in it. It has a quality that allows it to coat dry fuels and slow the progression of fire through those fuels,” Hattervig said.

Getting on the ground to a wildfire in the Black Hills can take time, but that’s not a problem for these planes.

“It makes it possible to quickly get resources to put out a fire, you know, even in the form of retardant or water,” Hattervig said. “It’s at least putting something out there to buy these guys some time and help them extend their lines of control on these fires.”

In addition to helping fight fires in South Dakota, the Air Tanker Base responds to fires in North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska and parts of Minnesota.