MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- Don’t tell Kenny Hedlund or David Rosalee the story about a scuba diver found dead in the forest is true.
Last week the team leaders from Helitack and Airborne Firefighting from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton dispelled the myth during aerial firefighting training. The “Red Lions” from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363 learned how to combat large-scale fires using airlifted water when the team leaders came here.
“New pilots come to our squadron every year,” said Capt. Seth Gibson, pilot, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363. “We wanted training to keep the skill in the shop, and it’s good to have multiple squadrons with the ability. If a squadron deploys, those who are skilled can fight fires there while the ones who stay back can help around the base.”
Gibson said training for the “Red Lions” from the Camp Pendleton team began when the Helitack program was established in 1989. The squadron learned fire behavior theory in a ground class and how to handle the 420-gallon Bambi Bucket, attached to the plane. Using the CH-53D Sea Stallion, crews practiced flying with the buckets over hotspots at the firing range here.
“We talked to pilots and crew chiefs about how to stop fires from moving forward,” said Rosalee, team leader, Helitack and Airborne Firefighting, MCB Camp Pendleton. “They need to get as close as they can to the fire so they can knock flames down enough for ground crews to come in.”
He said aircraft crews needed to navigate routes to avoid smoke from the fires, and the pilots must be sure the air from propellers doesn’t cause a bigger fire.
The HMH-363 captain said he appreciated how the team leaders focused on coordination with crews on the ground. Pilots learned how to be observers and relay information from their vantage point, Rosalee said.
“It’s more than just flying over an area and getting some water,” said Hedlund, team leader, Helitack and Airbourne Firefighting, MCB Camp Pendleton. “The pilots are multi-taskers with incredible skills. They can’t drop too far down, or they’ll knock people down and cause significant property damage. A lot of things could go wrong, but the Marines have excelled at their jobs in worse conditions.”
Hedlund and Rosalee said Hawaii’s lush environment makes fire-fighting strategies different than what their team goes through in California. Hedlund said brush fires in Hawaii don’t easily spread to green valleys because the tropical vegetation is filled with water. He said areas where there is dry brush or light grasses make for “flashier fuel,” and the brown regions are prime target areas for large fires. Hawaii’s high humidity makes it less likely for fires to spread as fast as it does in the mainland. Hawaii has other unique environmental dangers causing large fires.
“We’ve had to do some work on the Big Island near Kilauea,” Hedlund said. “The lava tubes there cause explosions, and the hot lava will cause fires. In California, I wasn’t originally trained for that. The targets are harder to hit.”
Gibson said the recent training has allowed the squadron to conduct its own additional training at the base’s firing range. In the future, he’d like to work with the Honolulu Fire Department for coordination of firefighting on the island.
The CH-53D helicopters were on standby during the July 4th festivities in case they were needed to fight fires. It’s an inspiring job for Cpl. Derek Torrellas, crew chief, HMH-363. He said the training was an exciting rush.
“We were almost 15 to 20 feet near the water,” Torrellas said. “We’re not normally that close. I got sprayed with water, and when the water dried I had salt all over my helmet.”