Aspen Fire Protection District explores heavy helicopter proposal

The Aspen Fire Protection District is taking early steps to assemble a team to explore the feasibility of bringing one of Colorado’s heavy firefighting helicopters to the Roaring Fork Valley. 

The effort comes in response to a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), which seeks input on potential locations for the aircraft. Aspen Fire is working with regional partners to evaluate whether the valley could be a suitable base for the resource.

DFPC did not directly approach Aspen Fire about this opportunity beyond the publicly issued RFI. Instead, the district pro-actively engages with local stakeholders and agencies to assess how it might support the state’s efforts — whether by securing a location for the helicopter in Aspen or contributing to the broader initiative.

No decisions have been made regarding where the helicopter could be stationed, and discussions remain in the early stages. Aspen Fire is beginning conversations with the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport and other regional entities to determine the best possible location. 

At this point, no formal permissions have been requested or granted for housing the aircraft.

“Our goal is to explore the possibility of bringing this incredible firefighting asset to our region and to work collaboratively with our partners to determine how we can best support DFPC’s mission,” said Jake Andersen, deputy chief of operations. “We recognize the importance of having strong aerial firefighting resources in wildfire-prone areas like ours, and we are eager to work with the state and local agencies to see what role we can play in this process.”

Aspen Fire welcomes community input as discussions progress and will provide updates as more information becomes available.