News: Columbia Air Base - Tanker 83 Where are you?

Columbia Air Base Prepared For 2008 Fire Season

Columbia Air Base
Battalion Chief Frank Podesta

Columbia, CA -- With the official start of the 2008 fire season right around the corner, CAL Fire's Columbia Air Base Unit, with one exception, is at full strength.

According to Battalion Chief Frank Podesta Tanker 83 is missing. Podesta adds that the tanker has some maintenance issues. If it is not ready for delivery near the end of May or the first of June Tanker 100 will join the fleet.

CAL Fire Helicopter 404 stationed at Columbia Air Base, Columbia, CA

Already on base are Air Attack, Helicopter 404 and Tanker 82. The Helicopter 404 crew consists of two pilots, four captains, two engineers and 14 firefighters. The fixed wing aircraft unit (Air Attack and two tankers) consists of a battalion chief, three contract pilots, two captains, one engineer and eight firefighters.

Air Attack helped in spotting the three lightning caused fires (one in Arnold and two in the West Point area) Sunday evening. Air Attack returned to the scene of the fires to check on possible "sleepers" late this morning (hot spots that develop into fires), but none were discovered.
Story Source: motherlode.com-Link

Columbia Air Base - The base provides initial attack for the CDF Madera-Mariposa-Merced and Amador-El Dorado Units and the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park.
This area spans north to the town of Plymouth, south to the town of Mariposa, east over the Sierras and west to the Unit’s state responsibility area (SRA) boundary.
Staffing: At the base consists of one battalion chief, two fire captains, one fire apparatus engineer, and six firefighters.
Aircraft: One OV-10 Bronco (Air Attack) and two S-2T airtankers(Tanker 82 and 83) The air attack base is co-located with the Columbia Helitack Base.

Columbia Helitack Base responds to an average of 165 calls per year ranging from fires to rescues.
Staffing: At Columbia Helitack Base consists of two pilots, four fire captains, two seasonal fire apparatus engineers, and 10 firefighters.
Aircraft: One UH-1H helicopter (Copter 404) and one helitender, support vehicle for the copter.
The helitender contains 1,000 gallons of fuel, along with foam, backup tools, out-of-county bags, an extra bucket, Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s) and many other items that are necessary to support the helitack crew.
Initial attack area of approximately 3.6 million acres.
The bases provide initial attack for the CDF Madera-Mariposa-Merced and Amador-El Dorado Units and the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite Park.
This area spans north to the town of Plymouth, south to the town of Mariposa, east over the Sierras and west to the Unit’s state responsibility area (SRA) boundary. amounting to an initial attack area of approximately 3.6 million acres.