Re: US Goverment Sues D&SNG

On June 18, 2018, Billings Aviation from Billings, Montana had four CH47 Chinook helicopters fighting the 416 fire. Some of my photos of their choppers fighting the fire were picked up by Associated Press in LA and distributed world-wide. The guys saw the photos and called to ask if I would like to visit their operations at the Durango airport. They were not flying that morning as winds were too dangerous. They gave me a tour of two of the choppers and the lead pilot called Billings and asked if they could take me along on a flight that afternoon....answer from Billings was NO, our insurance would not cover that. Later that week I had dinner with two of the pilots and they told me the Forest Service had instructed them that the objective was not to stop the fire, but to save structures. They were instructed to work the fire along 550 on the east side but to let it burn over the ridges to the west. The Forest Service screwed up and because of holding them back, the fire jumped Hermosa Creek and they almost lost control.

The Forest Service has wanted to do burns west of 550 but could not due to political restraints.