Heli-Mulching - Ground Support

Video by Eric Neitzel, Show Low Fire Department
Credit USFS, Apache Sitgreaves National Forest

On Wednesday, July, 14th the aerial mulching contracts were awarded or started. There are three separate contracts that call for mulching on the severely burned and moderately burned areas of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. One contract was awarded to Bradco for the Alpine vicinity (3,328 acres). Another contract was awarded to Mountain West to mulch the Nutrioso area (12,396 acres) and the third contract was awarded to Revegetation Services to mulch the Eagar, South Fork, and Greer vicinity (9,547 acres). These companies bring their own aircraft, flight crew, and ground crew. There may be about nine helicopters working to spread the straw. Each helicopter can mulch about one-half acre per sortie. The 800-1200 pound bales are arriving from farms from throughout the United States.

A tremendous amount of straw is being trucked to various staging areas on the Forest in order to facilitate a quick turn-around time for the helicopter. The first areas to be mulched are Colter Creek and Auger Canyon, South Mountain and Escudilla, and the ridge south of Eagar.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Wallow Fire
• BAER
• Heli-Mulch
• Helicopter
• Straw
• Wildland fire