By Dylan Farrell
Casper Star Tribune
CASPER, Wyo. — On Sept. 24, Gov. Mark Gordon joined a lineup of state officials and firefighting leaders to celebrate a new addition to Wyoming’s wildfire-fighting arsenal: a brand-new state helibase.
The ribbon-cutting drew a crowd, followed by an open house where attendees got a firsthand look at the new facility and what it will offer the state’s aviation program.
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The new helibase replaces an aging operation south of Glenrock that has served Wyoming’s state forestry division for nearly two decades. If you missed our initial story, here are four things to know about the new facility and the base it replaces:
Why build a new base? The older (and technically current) home for Wyoming state forestry’s air division is on a plot of land called the Douglas Ranch about six miles south of Glenrock. It was built in 2007. Remodeling wasn’t considered a great option because the site lacked hard-wired internet, didn’t have a hangar to protect aircraft during storms and FEMA trailers built in 2008 no were no longer seen as adequate housing for staff, the aviation program’s director said.
How much did it cost? The new helibase cost a little more than $7.5 million, Gordon said during his address. Gordon broke ground on the structure in June, and construction finished ahead of schedule, a state forestry spokeswoman said.
Is it already being used? Not quite yet. On Wednesday, state forestry staff moved helicopters into the hangar for the first time, but a spokeswoman from the agency said it likely won’t start flying missions until the next fire season.
What’s new? According to aviation Program Manager Chris Fallbeck, the new facility solved the old site’s problems and comes with new benefits. The facility includes better housing for permanent and seasonal firefighters, hard-wired internet for faster and more consistent connections, plentiful space and a hangar so state forestry doesn’t have to contract with airports to store them during storms. It’s also much closer to fuel supplies, so helicopters will be able to refuel before taking off without making an extra stop at the airport to top up, as was sometimes the case before.
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