A CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the Colorado Army National Guard prepares to provide aerial fire suppression support to the Lee Fire response, Rio Blanco County, Colorado, August 8, 2025. For more than 10 years, the COARNG has partnered with the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control and other key partners to host an annual wildland fire training in preparation for wildland fire support.
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CENTENNIAL, Colo. – Under executive authority, two Colorado Army National Guard helicopters and aircrews are supporting wildfire suppression efforts in Rio Blanco County.
Governor Jared Polis authorized the use of Colorado National Guard assets, which gives the incident commander access to additional resources if deemed necessary.
At the direction of the Incident Command and the State Emergency Operations Center, the CONG will assist wildland firefighters with aerial fire suppression efforts using Bambi buckets and CH-47 Chinook military heavy lift aircraft.
“The Colorado National Guard is Always Ready, Always There to assist the people of Colorado,” Director of the Joint Staff, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Myk Bruno said. “We have specialized training and capabilities to assist the incident command team with this response.”
For the past 10 years, the COARNG has partnered with the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control and other key partners to host an annual wildland fire training exercise called the Colorado Fire Aviation Summit.
The summit is an opportunity to train and collaborate with partners to prepare to answer the call and enhance communication and operational effectiveness when responding to wildfires.
The CONG is the first military responder during domestic emergencies, supporting the state of Colorado and local jurisdictions to help save lives, reduce suffering, and mitigate property damage.
