CENTENNIAL, Colo. – Under executive authority, two Colorado Army National Guard helicopters and aircrews are supporting wildfire suppression efforts in Rio Blanco County, Colorado.

Gov. Jared Polis has authorized the use of Colorado National Guard assets, which provides the incident commander with access to additional resources if deemed necessary.

At the direction of the Incident Command and the State Emergency Operations Center, the Colorado National Guard will assist wildland firefighters with aerial fire suppression efforts using helicopter buckets and CH-47 Chinook military heavy lift aircraft.

“The Colorado National Guard is ‘Always Ready, Always There’ to assist the people of Colorado,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Myk Bruno, director of the Joint Staff.  “We have specialized training and capabilities to assist the incident command team with this response.”

For the past 10 years, the Colorado Army National Guard 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 provides an opportunity to train and collaborate with partners to prepare for responding to wildfires, enhancing effectiveness in communication and procedures.

The Colorado National Guard 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.