Stephen Bomar

Although the Chinooks have been deployed, the Oregon Department of Forestry is currently at capacity with more than 40 overall aviation assets. We have been utilizing Blackhawk helicopters to assist in firefighting efforts since Governor Brown declared a state of emergency due to heightened wildfire weather conditions on August 19, we now have eight Blackhawks available, six dedicated to Bambi bucket water drop operations, and two available for search and rescue. We also currently have two UH-72 Lakotas assisting officials with fire mapping to keep track of the fires.