Fighting Wildfires from the Sky – S8, Episode 78

In Memory:

We also honor pilot Marc “Thor” Olson, who died in the line of duty later in 2021 while flying a nighttime water-drop mission during Colorado’s Kruger Rock Fire. His interview highlights both his passion for aviation and his commitment to advancing night-vision firefighting technology. Join us as we take a moment to honor courageous firefighters across North America, and the globe. 

Supporting the Fireline from Above:

As wildfire activity affects communities across Colorado, the American West, and Canada in 2026, this special episode returns to interviews originally recorded for the Behind the Wings PBS series in 2021. 

At CO Fire Aviation in Fort Morgan, Colorado, Crew Chief Claire Waldock describes a mobile operation capable of bringing aircraft support into areas with few existing resources. Ground teams inspect equipment, prepare support vehicles, and mix retardant so pilots can respond quickly when a call arrives. 

Wildland fire response brings together engine crews, hotshots, smokejumpers, incident commanders, dispatchers, aviators, and many other specialists. Engine crews transport firefighters, water, and equipment to accessible areas, while hotshot crews build and secure firelines in difficult terrain, and smokejumpers parachute into remote areas to attack fires before they grow. 

Aircraft connect those teams with transportation, supplies, water, retardant, and vital information from above. The National Interagency Fire Center describes a similarly broad aviation system that includes air tankers, tactical aircraft, smokejumper airplanes, helicopters, and other platforms. 

Looking Back on Colorado’s 2020 Fire Season:

These interviews follow Colorado’s historic 2020 wildfire season. More than 625,000 acres burned across the state as fires threatened watersheds, mountain communities, and neighborhoods along the wildland-urban interface. 

Colorado State Climatologist Dr. Russ Schumacher explains that no single factor causes a major wildfire. Forest health, drought, heat, wind, humidity, and human development can all influence how a fire begins and behaves. Hot, dry, and windy conditions can create the perfect recipe for rapid growth, while large fires may even produce their own weather. 

Former Colorado State Senator Bob Rankin and then-State Representative Julie McCluskie describe how the 2020 season brought wildfire preparedness to the forefront of the state’s legislative agenda. Their challenge was not simply responding to the next fire. It was deciding how Colorado should invest in mitigation, training, aviation, and long-term resilience. 

When Wildfires Reach Communities:

For residents of Grand County, the East Troublesome Fire made that question deeply personal. 

Assistant Fire Chief Schelly Olsen recalls the fire traveling for miles and growing by more than 100,000 acres in one evening. Conditions combined into a firestorm that moved at such a rapid pace, incident managers recall seeing nothing like it before. 

In Grand Lake, resident Ernie Bjorkman watched smoke fill the sky as the fire advanced toward town. Residents initially received a pre-evacuation notice, but very quickly were racing to leave. 

Their accounts reveal an important limitation of aerial firefighting: Aircraft cannot simply put out every wildfire. Retardant slows a fire, so ground crews can engage it. Water drops can reduce heat and fire intensity. Mapping aircraft can show crews where the danger is moving. All resources and tools contribute something different, but none work alone. 

Seeing Through Smoke with Infrared:

Colorado’s Multi-Mission Aircraft program demonstrates how aviation can support a fire without dropping water or retardant. 

The program uses two Pilatus PC-12 aircraft equipped with infrared and color sensors. From above a fire, mission sensor operators can map its perimeter, locate hotspots and provide incident commanders with near-real-time intelligence. 

Infrared sensors detect heat rather than visible light. That allows an operator to identify fire activity through smoke that would obscure the view from a conventional camera. 

Mission Sensor Operator Andrea Drinkhouse remembers helping a hotshot locate a hotspot hidden in a bulldozer berm. From the aircraft, her team transmitted its coordinates and described the surrounding terrain. When the firefighter arrived, he found a hot area measuring only about one by three inches. That small discovery illustrates the larger value of aerial intelligence. Accurate information can help crews find remaining heat before it crosses a containment line or grows into another problem. 

For Multi-Mission Aircraft operator Kerry Koppes, who previously served as an engine boss, the biggest advancement is speed. Information that once took hours to reach a command post can now move from an aircraft toward firefighters on the ground in near-real time. Colorado has also used its Multi-Mission Aircraft to provide fire detection and intelligence beyond the state when conditions allow. 

Different Aircraft for Specialized Missions:

Pilatus PC-12 pilot Dave Bickerstaff compares the activity above a fire to a symphony. A lead aircraft may guide tankers while single-engine aircraft and helicopters enter and leave the operating area. The plan can change almost as soon as an aircraft takes off, requiring pilots and controllers to continually adjust.

Single-engine air tankers, commonly called SEATs, are smaller and more maneuverable than large air tankers. They can operate from nearly any airport, respond quickly, and place retardant in terrain where a larger aircraft may have limited access. 

CO Fire Aviation co-owner Kyle Scott explains why aircraft performance is especially important in Colorado. A SEAT may need to climb toward a fire burning at elevations of 11,000 or 12,000 feet, maneuver safely, return for another load and repeat the cycle. 

Helicopters offer a different set of capabilities. They can move firefighters, perform rescues, and refill near a fire for repeated water drops. The Firehawk expands those possibilities by adapting the Sikorsky Black Hawk for firefighting and other public-safety missions. 

The Firehawk’s external tank can carry 1,000 gallons of water, while a retractable snorkel allows the aircraft to refill from a nearby water source in under a minute. Because the tank sits beneath the helicopter, the cabin remains available for firefighters, equipment or rescue operations. 

Colorado committed to its first Firehawk in 2021. In 2023, state lawmakers approved funding for a second aircraft, reflecting a growing investment in rapid initial attack and year-round response capabilities. 

How Marc “Thor” Olson Helped Change Night Operations:

Fires do not stop when the sun goes down. Marc believed aviation should continue exploring safe ways to operate after daylight ends. 

Olson brought decades of military and civilian night-flying experience to CO Fire Aviation’s work with night vision goggles. The technology amplifies available light, helping a properly trained pilot to see terrain and obstacles in darkness. The cockpit must also be configured so its instruments and lighting do not interfere with the goggles. Thor saw night vision as another carefully developed tool, one that could provide additional time to support firefighters and protect threatened communities. 

Olson died in the line of duty on November 16, 2021, while piloting a single-engine air tanker on a nighttime water-drop mission during the Kruger Rock Fire near Estes Park, Colorado. 

His life was defined by aviation and service. Across 42 years of flying, he logged more than 8,000 hours, including over 1,000 hours using night vision goggles in military and civilian operations. We honor his life, service, and lasting contributions to wildfire aviation. 

The challenges facing firefighters are real, but the outcome is not fixed. Every aircraft, sensor, and new capability serves the same purpose: providing better information, more options, and time to protect those in need.

One Mission, Many Teams:

Wildfire response depends on far more than aircraft. It requires firefighters, dispatchers, incident commanders, maintainers, sensor operators, scientists, public officials, support crews, and residents working toward the same goal. Prevention, forest management, community preparation, accurate information, and rapid response are all parts of the same system.

Aircraft cannot eliminate wildfire risk. They can, however, help crews detect fires sooner, understand them more clearly, reach difficult terrain, and act before a small incident becomes a catastrophe.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is wildfire aviation?

Wildfire aviation is the use of airplanes and helicopters to support firefighting. Missions can include mapping fires, coordinating aircraft, transporting crews, conducting rescues, and dropping water or retardant.

How does fire retardant help?

Fire retardant slows the spread and reduces the intensity of wildfires. It generally does not extinguish the fire itself but rather helps ground crews establish or strengthen containment lines. 

What is a single-engine air tanker? 

A single-engine air tanker, or SEAT, is a relatively small and maneuverable aircraft used to deliver water or fire retardant. They can often operate from nearly any airport and reach emerging fires quickly. 

How do infrared sensors help Colorado’s Multi-Mission Aircraft program? 

Infrared sensors detect differences in heat. They can help crews see through smoke, map a fire’s perimeter, and locate hotspots that may not be visible to the human eye. The program operates two sensor-equipped Pilatus PC-12 airplanes. Their crews collect imagery, map fires, and provide incident commanders with near real-time intelligence. 

What makes a Firehawk different from a Black Hawk?

A Firehawk is a Black Hawk-based helicopter modified for firefighting and public-safety missions. Its equipment includes an external water tank and retractable snorkel, while its cabin remains available for crews, equipment, or rescue operations. 

Why are night-vision goggles important in aerial firefighting?

Night-vision goggles can help properly trained pilots operate after sunset, when most fixed-wing firefighting traditionally stops. They do not eliminate risk, but they may extend the time available to support ground crews.

Go Deeper:

• Learn More About Firefighting Aircraft (National Interagency Fire Center)
• The CAL FIRE Aviation Program (CAL FIRE)
• Financing To Purchase Firefighting Aircraft (Colorado Government))
• Firehawk Fact Sheet (Lockheed Martin)
• Colorado’s Multi-Mission Aircraft (Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control))
• Pilatus PC-12 Fact Sheet (Pilatus)