New Helicopter Crews Arrive to Battle Milepost 97 Fire

Several more helicopter crews just arrived to help combat the MP97 wildfire outside of Canyonville that is at 9k acres and growing. The two crews pictured are based out of La Grande, OR and are using two Kayman K-Max cargo helicopters. The highly optimized helicopters weigh about 5,200 lbs a piece, but can carry an external payload of 6,000 lbs. They utilize a water bucket that can carry 680 gallons of water and it comes with it's own internal pump. It can be dropped into a water source as shallow as 16 inches and pump the bucket full of water in less than 2 minutes. It has a 1,700 hp motor. They run for about 2 hours at a time before they return for a break and refueling. Depending on distance between the fire and water source, they can pick up and drop as many as 25-30 loads of water on a fire before returning for fuel. The base price for such an incredible machine? 7.5 million out of the factory before any additional customization. Just want to say thank you to Ben and Pete, as well as all the other flight crews that are assisting all the firefighters on the ground. Appreciate your work! Just want to say thank you to Ben and Pete, as well as all the other flight crews that are assisting all the firefighters on the ground. Appreciate your work!