Ely team helps fight northern Minnesota wildfires from the sky

Aviation officer Blake Freking walks toward a CL- T firefighting plane at the Ely Air Attack Base near Ely Minn on Wednesday May Freking an aviation officer for the U S Forest Operation had spent the past four days battling a pair of fast-spreading fires from the airfield Wyatt Buckner Forum News System ELY Minn Blake Freking struggled to recall what day of the week it was Wednesday as he paused to discuss the group effort mounted to slow the spread of the Camp House and Jenkins Creek wildfires from the air Small wonder As an aviation officer for the U S Forest Utility the days of battling a pair of fast-spreading fires from the Ely Air Attack Base had been a bit of a blur A couple of De Havilland CL- T scooper planes had just hit the tarmac and crews hastily went to work preparing the valuable aircraft for their next sorties on the flames The airplanes arrived by way of Bozeman Mont and would be joined Thursday by another duo from Spokane Wash With more than homes already lost to the forest fires and more than acres of land already blackened it may seem formidable to imagine anyone uncovering a silver lining amid the ashes But Freking did There s never a great time for a forest fire Freking explained But at least the Rocky Mountains and California aren t burning yet this year He explained that air assets can be tougher to come by at times when multiple fires across the nation are competing for guidance Clearly this is being viewed as a high-priority situation largely because we have a lot of structures at vulnerability Freking commented Coordinating aircraft Moments after touching down pilot Mike Kinsey described what it s like to scoop gallons of water from the surface of a lake in seconds It s a relatively smooth maneuver in choppy water but tougher as waves kick up The crucial thing is not to let the nose of the plane dip as it skims across the water s surface he declared Then loaded with water he climbs flying into position under the radio direction of an aerial tactical group supervisor surveying the scene mid-air from a Kodiak Mike Kinsey talks about his experience flying a CL -T to battle the Jenkins Creek and Camp House fires Wyatt Buckner Duluth Media Group We re constantly taking commands from him and he paints a picture in our minds as we listen to what he s telling us and all the other aircraft in the area Kinsey commented Forest Arrangement pilots also maintain direct radio contact with one another on another channel he mentioned while simultaneously monitoring chatter between ground crews and the group supervisor With multiple aircraft working the scene coordination is critical Freking commented Especially with two fires burning this close together the airspace can get a little tight he explained Kinsey disclosed he typically approaches his assigned target at an altitude of around feet dropping to to feet above ground level before releasing his liquid payload At that height just above the trees you can have quite an intimate encounter with the flames and smoke he explained At the opportune moment Kinsey releases a thundering pounds of water The sudden change of weight causes the airplane to lift and buck especially as it rides atop the rising convection currents of the fire below It s not as bad as a roller coaster but you need to keep a strong hand on the flight controls he disclosed explaining the need to keep the plane level despite its inclination to tip dangerously nose-up toward a expected stall Supporting role A CH- Chinook departs the Ely Air Attack Base to battle the Jenkins Creek and Camp House fires on Wednesday Wyatt Buckner Duluth Media Group This is Kinsey s third year battling forest fires from the air and he reported the work has taken him from Alaska to locations throughout the lower states flying missions in patronage of Canadian firefighting efforts as well He has helped notch numerous victories and has also seen plenty of destruction But Kinsey disclosed it still pains him to see homes lost to fire Flying over the Camp House Fire a day or so after the blaze began and surveying the number of houses destroyed below still made an impression on Kinsey It s just heartbreaking to see he disclosed Air assets play only a supporting role Freking mentioned often on the front end of the Forest Institution s firefighting efforts Aircraft don t put out forest fires But they can cool them enough so that firefighters on the ground can get in there and finish the job he explained In addition to fixed-wing aircraft several helicopters have been deployed to Ely as well including large Type III Chinook choppers that can suck up gallons of water from a lake in seconds using powerful hydraulic pumps and -inch-diameter intake tubes Related Articles Unions oppose plan to close the aging Stillwater state prison West St Paul pastor recalls spending the summer of in Minnesota with a friend Pope Leo XIV Doug Burgum completes disclosures and divestitures for role as Interior Secretary Minnesota seeks to replace retiring ag mental vitality counselor Evacuation orders lifted for Munger Shaw Fire property owners allowed to enter evacuation zones A small crowd of local onlookers gathered to take in the scene Wednesday afternoon at the Ely base Stefanie Kosinski was there with her five children ages to They live just a couple of miles away from the airfield and had seen aircraft of all sorts flying overhead for the past several days The kids were curious So we came by to get a closer look and of syllabus to say Thank you she declared One of the Forest Organization pilots offered to show the children around a Chinook awaiting its next flight too Kosinski expressed her gratitude to the pilot but noted that he waved it off saying These youngsters are the ones that are going to be doing this job one day