Aviation fuel supplier Epic Aviation said it dispatched more than two million gallons of aviation fuels between July and mid-September to FBOs and fire bases supporting aerial firefighting operations in the Western U.S. Aviation fuel and ground-support resources used in aerial firefighting operations have been in high demand this summer with wildfires simultaneously burning in California, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Washington.
Epic said it ramped up its operations to meet the demand for aviation fuel by FBOs in the regions serving as fire bases, such as Redding Jet Center at Redding (Calif) Airport; Gemini Flight Support at Castle Airport in Atwater, Calif.; and Glacier Jet Center at Glacier Park International in Kalispell, Mont.
This year’s very active fire season has been “extremely challenging,” requiring Epic to find creative solutions and alternatives for fuel supply and delivery. “We’ve used multiple modes of delivery, from refineries to terminals to railcars to trucks over long distances to form a virtual ‘bucket brigade’ of aviation fuel to safely supply the aerial firefighting operations run out of our FBO’s facilities,” said Epic vice president of supply Lee Jones. “At times the demand overwhelmed the normal supply and logistics infrastructure in the region, so we pulled in fuel from outside the region, including Canada.”
Based on the current weather conditions and progress combatting the fires, the expectations are that the increased demand for aviation fuel could continue for several more weeks, the company said at press time.
“We stand committed and ready to support our FBO customers who are doing everything within their power to aid in the massive effort to contain and extinguish the multiple blazes,” said Jones.