As of end of season 2024:
The crew spent most of the year off forest departing in mid July and ending the contract end of October upon release from the Shoe Fire. In 2024 most R5 helicopter crews spent the bulk of their season either committed to large fires or on cover assignments on various forests. H-512 spent the bulk of its time in the north state, first on the Six Rivers NF assigned to the Hill Fire, then the Boise Fire. The majority of the SRF assignments were large fire support with water dropping, cargo and helispot approvals. After the SRF, 512 was moved to cover the Klamath for IA out of Scott Valley where the crew responded to various IA's, CalFire assists, and performed repeater missions for the local forest. The crew then responded to the IA of the Shoe Fire on the Shasta NF and was again primarily used for large fire support with various lightning initial attacks mixed in. Although the crew that staffed the helicopter on these incidents tended to be held as an IA resource while supporting the incident, we were able to send many crewmembers off single resource on various other assignments with members leaving for two weeks at a time to work on CRWB, FFT1, and HECM throughout the season with handcrews and other helitack modules out of the region.
Season Stats:
Start: 06/01/2024 to 10/29/24
32 Fires
105 days off forest
Crew Average Overtime: 900 hours
Total Flight hours: 132.5
8 single resource assignments
Taskbooks: 1 CRWB, 2 HECMS, 1 ABROS, 1 FFT1
2023 Summary:
2023 began with a new helicopter contract with Redding Air Services and with new members to the crew itself. The months of April and May saw us mostly training and building up our crew cohesion and teamwork while also hitting a few local small Initial Attack fires and Prescribed Fires. Heading into June and July with the helicopter arriving, we began drilling hard and taking advantage of live training flight hours with the helicopter. This kept us fresh and busy as it was a slow year for IAs. Finally on July 22 we were ordered up to the Hayden Fire in Idaho where we spent 21 days supporting the fire. While there we were able to support both helibase and able to send folks to the line to assist in firing operations, line construction, cargo missions, mobile retardant bases, and staffing helispots as needed. At helibase we filled roles with ABROs and Helicopter managers. After the Hayden we were reassigned to the Thompson Ridge fire in Utah for another 10 days. There we slung out external cargo and delivered internal cargo to help supply crews on the line. We performed multiple troop transports and staffed multiple helispots. Additionally, we acted as helibase managers and ABROs as well. We finished our time in Region 3 covering in Boise for a few days before we came back to base in Quincy. There we spent the first couple of weeks of September available locally, however we were able to get a couple of folks out on single resource assignments staffing a Type 3 Helicopter on the 2023 SRF Lightning Complex. After hitting a short lived IA in Nevada the crew all ended back together as we got ordered to the 2023 SRF Lightning Complex. There we helped staff helispots, helibase, and a type 3 helicopter. Now into October and as the helicopter went off contract a couple of folks finished the year by going to the Smith River Complex to staff a helicopter alongside our neighboring helitack crew Chester helitack. Overall 2023 saw few IAs, but a good amount of overall aviation experience across different levels and regions.
End of the (2023) season stats:
Start: 6/1/23 - Layoff: 10/24/23 For Temp. Employees
97.5- Flight Hours
On fire assignments for 65 days out of 129 available
58 days off forest
Crew average overtime: 600 hours
5 single resource assignments
Task Books Completed: 3 HECM, 1 ABRO, 1 FFT1
2022 Summary: 2022 kicked off early this year, with Helicopter 512 being ordered to the Cerro Pelado fire in New Mexico in early May. We remained in region 3 from May 3rd through June 25th as an initial attack resource, traveling to southern Arizona for the Foster fire, and back up to Show Low AZ for pre-positioning. This afforded us multiple training opportunities for our HECM's and ABRO's, and experience for multiple Helicopter Managers. We finished our time in Region 3 after working both the Milliken and Hog-Eye fires to return home. The months of July and August were slower with Crew 512 remaining at Quincy and responding to multiple IA's within the norther California GACC. During this time, we were able to fill some resource orders and send a couple of crewmembers on single resource assignments. September got busy again with a resource order to the Six Rivers Lightning Complex and immediately followed by the Mosquito Fire on the Tahoe NF. H-512 returned to Quincy in late September and remained available past our standard contract time of September 28 and well into October.
End of the (2022) season stats:
Start: 4/25/22 Layoff:11/3/22 For Temp. Employees (With option to extend through Dec 3rd)
43 Fires (4 Large fire support)
Average Crew Overtime: 772 hours
129-Flight Hours
73-days off forest
2 Single resource assignments
Task-Books Completed: 1 HECM, 1 ABRO, 1 CRWB, 3 HMGB, 1 DECK
2021 Summary: We started off the season with quite a few IA's before the helicopter came on for contract, keeping us busy most of June. Once helicopter 512's contract started, we were ordered out to the El Dorado for Forest Support. During our assignment we assisted the forest in multiple initial attack fires, both in firefighting support and bucket & cargo support with the helicopter. Towards the end of the assignment, we were dispatched back to the Plumas for the Dotta Fire IA which eventually became a smaller fire in the Beckwourth Complex. We were assigned to the Sugar Fire (Beckwourth Complex), which gave many opportunities for our newer HECM's to develop their skills working with 512 during bucket operations, cargo operations, and firefighting operations. During this time the Dixie started in the Feather River Canyon. Eventually, Helicopter 512 and crew were assigned on the Dixie Fire which threatened multiple communities and forest lands that the crew holds close to their hearts. Most of the crew finished the season around 1000 hours of overtime.
End of the (2021) season stats:
Start: 4/25/21 - Layoff: 10/24/21 For Temp. Employees
259.7- Flight Hours
On fire assignments for 133 days out of 146 available
14 days off forest (spent most of season on forest on large fire support)
Crew average overtime: 1000 hours
2 single resource assignments
Task Books Completed: 4 HECM, 1 ABRO
2020 Summary: The year started off slow for 512 with a few
lightning I.A.'s and agency assists mostly located in the Northern California
area. This was followed by a very busy close-out to the
season. Around mid-August the crew was ordered up to the Lake &
Ranch 2 incidents located near Lancaster, CA on the Angeles N.F. The
assignment gave our HECM / FFT1 trainees many opportunities to work on their
skills, including coordinating cargo missions, managing helispots and
supervising mobile retardant bases. Our Helicopter was utilized mostly for
water dropping followed by troop and cargo transport on both fires. This was a
solid 14 day assignment with plenty of on the job training.
The crew returned to the Plumas and was immediately
assigned to the Bear/Claremont AKA "North Complex". The original
fires started just south of our duty location here in Quincy, as a crew we were
able to send out firefighters to the line to work with our local IHCs and other
adjoining Helitack modules. We assisted in both logistical and operational
support through 3 different helibases (ABROs/DECKs and HEB), 2 mobile retardant
bases and multiple helispot locations (HECM/FFT1).
With 75 total days assigned the Crew provided plenty of
local knowledge and support throughout an incident that had 4 separate incident
management teams.Overtime throughout our Helitack module varied amongst the
crew. For 2020 the high end was above 1050hrs and the low end just below 850.
End of the (2020) season stats:
Temps Start: 4/27/20 - Layoff:11/6/20
39 Fires-3-Large fire support
218-Flight Hours
20-days off forest
3-Single resource assignments
2019 summary: 2019 was a fresh start for Plumas Helitack. A
fairly green crew with a new pilot from Australia. We made it out of the season
with only a couple bumps and bruises. Season started off busy after
training was complete with a trip to the Sand Fire on the Lake Napa Unit
(Cal-Fire) followed by a 14 day assignment on some managed fires in the
Mendocino N.F. Soon after we got home we packed up and headed to Alaska for a
21 day assignment where we fought fire in a couple different response zones.
Most memorable was the Rainy Pass Fire. Upon returning from Alaska we stayed
fairly local helping out on some I.A.'s and a few type 3 incidents to the
North. We finished the season with some lightning fires on the Klamath N.F. and
doing a stent of time near Yreka, Ca. Another late drying trend kept the perm
staff busy helping staff local Engines until the snow came around Thanksgiving.
End
of the (2019) season stats:
Start:
4/28/19 - Layoff: 10/25/19 For Temp. Employees
31
- Fires -- 6-Large fire support
700+
hrs - Average Crew Overtime
225
- Flight Hours
70
- days off forest
1 -
Single resource assignment
2018 summary: The beginning to 2018 started out great. Hiring was
made simple due to all seasonal returning and the 3 new apprentices that were
brought on, had an array of leaders to help teach the ways of Plumas
Helitack. In Early June, 512 was sent to Utah in Region 4 to assist with
the dry and windy conditions that were present in the great basin. After
a solid, 2 weeks in Utah, the helicopter returned back to the Plumas to assist
our home forest with initial attack. The Mendocino Complex, numerous
fires on the Lassen (our neighboring forest to the north), and assisting Cal
Fire in Butte/Shasta/Sierra counties kept us busy through July and
August. A short week on the Modoc, and more IA's on the Plumas brought us
closer to the fall and the end of the season. The Camp fire started at
the very end of the season and not far from our base. It touched many
lives on the Plumas, including a few from our crew, making for a difficult
end to the 2018 season.
End
of the (2018) season stats:
Start:
4/31/18 - Layoff:11/17/18 For Temp. Employees
43-Fires
(8-Large fire support)
800+
hrs-Average Crew Overtime
165-Flight
Hours
70-days
off forest
6-Single
resource assignments
2017 summary: Fire season 2017 was spent exclusively in Region 5 with the
exception of one fire on the California/ Oregon border and a single resource
HECM assignment to Montana. It was still a really busy year with the crew
averaging 824 hours of overtime. After an early season roll to cover the
Klamath N.F. we stayed gainfully employed with numerous Cal-Fire assists and
local I.A.s. Mid-season we were on the Minerva Fire here near the local town of
Quincy. Soon after, it was back up north to the Klamath/ Six Rivers and Shasta
Trinity for numerous complexes. 512 ended the season with a roll down to the
Napa, Ca area.
Looking forward there will be some slight changes to the permanent staff of 512
next year and we're excited to get a fair amount of returning temps.
824 hrs-Average Crew
Overtime
245-Flight hours
49-Fires (6- Large fire support)
75-Days off forest
7-Single resource assignments
Task-Books Completed-
HECM, ABRO, FFT1, PLDO, CRWB
2016 summary: The 2016 season had a completely different feel from the
2015 season. Started off with a few small on-forest lightning fires then rolled
into a classic early season So-Cal assignment near the San Gabriel reservoir.
It was consistently busy following that first roll, with more fires/ cover
assignments and a month long trip to Nevada/ Utah. All the while we were able
to get out 7 crew members on single resource assignments. Temps were laid off
Oct 28th and the permanents spent Thanksgiving staffing our aircraft in
Robbinsville, North Carolina.
All in all it was a busy year and we realized that less flight hours doesn't
always mean a slower year. It was a year of new faces, movement,
travel and some good ol' fashioned firefighting with Baker as (detailed)
Supt-512.
Flight Hours: 198
Days committed: 89
Initial Attack fire:
25
Large Fire Assignments: 6
Completed task books
this year included: DIVS, HEB1, HMGB, CRWB, FFT1, ICT5, HECM, ABRO,
TOLC.
2015 Summary: We kicked off 2015 with a bang, hitting a
dozen fires within the first week of the contract and things kept at about the
same pace as the season progressed. We spent a bit of time on the Plumas, the
Mendocino, the Shasta and the Six Rivers, with a fair amount of Cal Fire DPA
assists. In total we responded to more than 60 fires, the vast majority of
which were initial attacks. Good crew, good assignments, busy year... who could
complain? The end of the contract drug on somewhat, with the helicopter and crew
making all the way through Halloween.
We were a bit short-handed with the way hiring shook out, which excluded the
possibility of sending folks out single resource. Completed task-books this
year included: ICT4, ICT5, HECM, ABRO and FFT1.
Overall, one of the busier years in recent memory, an eager and competitive
crew with lots of overtime!
Flight
Hours: 307
Days
Committed: 96
Initial
Attack Fires: 59
Large
Fire Assignments: 1
2014 Summary: 2014 was off to a strange start, as part of our facility was
burned down over the winter in a freak electrical fire. But... we were able to
replace most of what was lost, and ended up with the strongest crew we've had
in some time! Our initial attack load was light out of the gate, with only a
handful of fire assignments up to mid-June. The latter part of June and into
early July, however, provided a decent lightning bust on the forest. From there
we got a cover assignment in Nevada, working multiple lightning fires from Ely
to Cold Springs. Next, we got assigned to the Lodge fire near Willits which
mostly consisted of helibase work, with one critical medevac. We were
reassigned from the Lodge to cover the Six Rivers/Klamath from Willow Creek; a
couple days of R&R, then back to Klamath country on the July Complex,
followed by the Happy Complex. We kept good and busy on these fires, getting
everyone out on the hill staffing remote helispots, running cargo, personnel
and the ABRO platform at the helibase, and doing plenty of good-old-fashioned
firefighting while we were at it. To cap off the season we initial-attacked the
Applegate fire near Auburn, and got a week of good work there.
Throughout all of the above, we had multiple folks out on various single
resource assignments, including DIVS, CRWB, ICT4, HMGB, HEQB, HECM, ABRO and
FFT1.
All in all, despite the slow start, we had a productive summer, a fit and
motivated crew, and plenty of valuable experience.
Flight
Hours: 135.2
Days
Committed: 58
Initial
Attack Fires: 32
Large
Fire Assignments: 4
Taskbooks
Completed: 4 HECM, 2 FFT1, 1 ICT5, 1 ABRO, 1 HEQB
2013 Summary: 2013 had a slightly early start with high fire danger
locally necessitating bringing on an additional helicopter. Thus, we ended up
hosting a Kachina Aviation Bell 205 for about two weeks the month prior to the
regular contract start. Our exclusive use helicopter officially went on
contract on June 7 this year and we had our first dispatch three days later.
From there we were reassigned two days later to the Mendocino NF. There the
crew provided helibase support as well as a ground crew module to work the
fire. The crew was released from the MNF in time make the annual Father’s Day
Fly In at Gansner Field in Quincy. After a meet and greet with the public, 512
was ordered up once again, this time for an incident just north of here on the
Lassen NF. After this initial flurry of activity the crew settled into a
nice pattern for the next several weeks responding to numerous local IAs and
smoke reports. This time also included a few more brief off forest assignments
with trips to the Eldorado NF, the Lassen NF and various state land. By August
1 the helicopter had logged approximately 70 hours of flight time. We also
received our first big off forest assignment, departing to the Six Rivers NF to
support the Butler incident. The crew remained on the Butler fire for the next
three weeks rotating crew members home periodically for R&R. On the 20th of
August the crew was requested directly from the Butler incident to the Lassen
for IA work associated with a storm system that had come through. After working
multiple fires over a period of two days the helicopter was reassigned locally
to the Hough Complex for several days before being reassigned to the Modoc NF
to assist with a lightning bust on that forest. After a week’s work on the MDF
the helicopter and crew were briefly reassigned to the Hough Complex again
before once again being sent off forest to the Six Rivers NF to assist with the
Corral Complex. After a week there we were back to Quincy and local IA work.
During this time we assisted the recreation department by flying several bear
proof food boxes into a remote OHV campsite. By the end of September with it
looking like the fire season was just about wrapped up we got our final
assignment: the San Bernardino NF for coverage/prepositioning for anticipated
Santa Ana wind events. Despite high fire indices we managed to spend an entire
two weeks staged at the Heap’s Peak Helibase with only a handful of false alarms
and one actual fire response. We were released from this assignment on October
10th and also officially ended the helicopter contract (after three days
of extension) on this day as well. The helicopter flew to its temporary winter
home in Lancaster, CA while the crew traveled by ground to Quincy.
Flight
Hours: 183.6
Days
Committed: 66
Initial
Attack Fires: 26
Large
Fires Assignments: 6
Single
Resource Assignments: HMGB/South Zone; TOLC, DECK/Idaho; ICT4(t)/local
Agencies/States
Supported: ID-PNF, ID-BOF, ODF, CA-ANF, CA-INF, CALFIRE, CA-TNF, CA-LNF,
CA-MDF, CA-MNF, CA-SRF, CA-BDF
Taskbooks
Completed: 3 HECM, 1 ICT4, 1 FFT1, 1 ICT5, 1 ABRO, 1 TFLD, 1 HMGB, 1 HEQB
2012 Summary: 2012 started off pretty early. We
actually had multiple IAs in January. Our first proper fire
assignment with the helicopter was to Virginia and then on to Florida in April;
this was prior to the contract period so the helicopter was activated under an
optional use clause in the contract. The seasonals hadn't come on yet so the
helicopter went with two of the permanents serving as Manager and Crew Member.
Once the seasonals arrived in early May we got off to a quick start with an
assignment to the Sequoia NF on the first day of the contract. From there it
was an up and down season, with a decent number of IAs and several off forest
assignments. There were several single resource orders, but we were only able
to fill a few due to helicopter staffing priorities. The contract was extended
for a total of three weeks. All said, this was a good season with a decent
uptick in work from the previous few years.
Flight
Hours: 205
Days
Committed: 56
Initial
Attack Fires: 22
Large
Fires Assignments: 3
Single
Resource Assignments: HMGB, HECM/Virginia, Florida; ABRO,HMGB(t)/Wyoming, Utah;
2 ABRO/California; TFLD/South Dakota
Agencies/States
Supported: USFS-R8, CA-MDF, CA-ANF, CA-TNF, CA-ENF, CA-KNF, CA-LNF,
CA-SQF, CALFIRE, SD-BIA-Rosebud
Taskbooks
Completed: 5 HECM, 1 ICT4, 1 FFT1
2011 Summary: The season started off with the helicopter on a
delayed start. The crew rolled to the Modoc NF the first week the
helicopter started. Local IA was slow this year. We sent dudes to
Alaska to staff helibases and manage helicopters, one to Texas as a Dozer Boss,
one to Texas on an engine, and several fill in assignments on the local Hotshot
Crew. The crew had a couple of rolls to Reno and Carson City and we hit
two large fire assignments in Wyoming.
Flight
Hours: 156
Days
Committed: 98
Initial
Attack Fires: 27
Large
Fires Assignments: 4
Single
Resource Assignments: HMGB/Alaska, ABRO/Alaska, HEB2/Wyoming, DOZB/Texas
Agencies/States
Supported: CA-MDF, CA-LNF, NV-HTF, CALFIRE, NV-BLM-Carson City, NV-BLM-Winnemucca,
WY-SHF, AK-DOF, AK-AFS
Taskbooks
Completed: 1 HEB2, 1 HMGB, 4 HECM, 2 ABRO, 1 TOLC, 1 FFT1
2010 Summary: The year was the slowest season in recent history, but
we made the most of what was put on our plate. We had less than average
numbers in every category. We managed to complete several training
assignments and task books. We got out of state/out of region twice with
trips to Idaho and Nevada. We sent 1 to Alaska early on. Tues/Wed
guys were the OT winners, Fri/Sat guys not so much. There is not much to
say about 2010 except that it is over.
Flight
Hours: 98
Days
Committed: 68
Initial
Attack Fires: 34
Large
Fire Assignments: 3
Single
Resource Assignments: HMGB/Alaska, DIVS/Idaho, TFLD/Idaho,
HEB1/California.
Agencies/States
Supported: AK-DOF, ID-BLM Twin Falls, NV-BLM Winnemucca, CA-CALFIRE
Taskbooks
Completed: 4 HECM, 1 DIVS, 1 TFLD, 2 ABRO, 2 ICT5, 3 FFT1, 1 TOLC, 1 HEB1
2009 Summary: The season started with single resource requests to
AK. Large fires on the Six Rivers, Mendocino, and Plumas kept the crew
employed. Local IA was average, CALFIRE assists were below average.
Flight
Hours: 200
Days
Committed: 98
Initial
Attack Fires: 61
Large
Fire Assignments: 4
Single
Resource Assignments: TFLD/Alaska, DIVS/California, TFLD/California, 4
HRAP/Oregon
Agencies/States
Supported: AK-DOF, CALFIRE, NPS-CA Lassen NP, CA-MNF, CA-LNF, CA-MDF,
CA-SRF, CA-SHF
Taskbooks
Completed: 4 HECM, 1 ABRO, 3 FFT1, 2 ICT5, 1 CRWB, 1 ICT4
2008 Summary: An early trip to the Los Padres for the Indians and
Gallery fires started the season right. On the way home lightning lit up
the Plumas and the rest of Northern California with hundreds of fires in 24
hours. This kept the crew rolling for six weeks of long days. We
ended the season with a week on a large fire outside Carson City.
Flight
Hours: 235
Days
Committed: 101
Initial
Attack Fires: 67
Large
Fire Assignments: 6
Single
Resource Assignments: TFLD/California, C-Faller/ California, FELB/
California, 2-HMGB/California, ASGS/ California
Agencies/States
Supported: CA-LPF, CA-MNF, CALFIRE, NV-BLM-Carson City, CA-MDF, CA-LNF
Taskbooks
Completed: 4 HECM, 1 HERS, 2 FFT1, 2 ICT5, 1 CRWB, 1 TFLD
2007 Summary: Early season sent 1 to Minnesota, and then 2 to
Southern CA. The rest of the crew went to Alaska. In AK the group
was split in 2 some traveling with the helicopter the other group assigned to a
large fire in Deshka Landing.
Flight
Hours: 243
Days
Committed: 100
Initial
Attack Fires: 62
Large
Fire Assignments: 4
Single
Resource Assignments: HEB1/Minnesota, CRWB & CRWB(t)/Southern
California, 7 HECM & 1 HMGB to Alaska, 2 HRAP to Wenatchee WA.
Agencies/States
Supported: MN-SPF, CA-SNF, CA-MNF, CA-LNF, CALFIRE, AK-DOF, AK-BLM
Taskbooks
Completed: 6 HECM, 3 FFT1, 1 CRWB, 2 ICT5
