SPOKANE, Wash. – The summer wildfire season in Spokane has been highly active, aligning with 2025 projections. This has necessitated the deployment of various aircraft to manage the fires.
Matt Hampton, a unit aviation manager with the Spokane District of the Bureau of Land Management, spoke about the challenges they face.
“It’s been fairly steady for us, but there’s always challenges with resource management, especially aviation,” he said.
Hampton helps coordinate the response of planes and helicopters to fires in the region. He noted that while this year’s activity was anticipated, securing enough resources on busy days can be difficult. The national preparedness level is currently at four out of five.
Hampton highlighted the advantage of using scooper planes in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.
“A lot of our fires are in fairly close proximity to the Columbia River or the Snake River or whatnot, so we can effectively use these tools to put water on our fires, and the water is very effective,” he stated.
Aerial resources are expected to remain in the area through September, as fire danger is predicted to stay high. After September, many planes and helicopters will move farther south where fire activity often increases in the fall.
Hampton emphasized that while airplanes and helicopters are vital, they do not extinguish the fires themselves.
“That’s the job of the firefighters on the ground, but they can sure be used to help those firefighters out a lot,” he added.
