Fire on the helibase

Boeing Vertol. Photo from the report.

A lessons learned report has been issued for an incident within an incident. As a large Type 1 helicopter was idling and about to take off from the helibase at a large fire, a grass fire started directly under the aircraft. The report does not provide the location or the name of the fire, but the document was issued by the US Forest Service’s Northern Region. Below is a summary — the entire report with recommendations for preventing future fires — and putting them out after they start — can be found HERE.
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On Sept 10th 2012 around 10:00 a Boeing Vertol helicopter was dispatched to work on the fire. The helicopter was located on Pad 7 at the air strip helibase. The aircraft had just started up and the mechanics were doing the standard bucket checks and remote long line hook checks. The helicopter was running at flight idle and about ready to depart when all of a sudden there was a fire under the cargo hook. The mechanics and helicopter manager signaled for the helicopter to take off right away as the flight deck was on fire. There was very dry grass where the helicopter was parked and it appeared that when the pilots did the hook check there was either a spark from the long line or a static discharge that ignited the dry grass under the helicopter.

Fuel truck parked at the helibase

The rotor wash from the helicopter blew the fire in several different directions. One of the mechanics grabbed the closest fire extinguisher and put the fire out around the equipment trailer while the helicopter manager screamed into the radio FIRE ON THE FLIGHT DECK, FIRE ON THE FLIGHT DECK on the helibase deck frequency. The helicopter manager went to grab the second fire extinguisher and realized it was in the service van so instead grabbed a fire shovel and started to throw dirt on the fire to get the fire out from under the fuel truck. The manager was successful on the attempt as the grass had flattened down from driving on it. At that point the crash rescue vehicle showed up and deployed their hard line attacking the west flank of the grass fire that was around 200 by 300 feet and spreading in several directions. The helicopter then returned with a bucket of water and dropped around the vehicles on the east flank of the fire. This saved the vehicles and stopped the spread of the fire to the south. All three helicopter mechanics at this point had grabbed shovels and were working on the east flank of the fire that was working its way towards the highway, while the crash rescue crew attacked the west flank of the fire. Several other people and engines show up at this point and continued to attack the fire. The helibase radio operator’s instructed several other helicopters to launch with their buckets. The Vertol returned with another bucket of water and continued to aid the firefighters.

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