In fact, it was local pilot Lloyd Salisbury who was training a student in a Cessna 152 for Arrow Aviation who first reported the blaze to authorities. When firefighters had a difficult time getting to the fire through steep terrain, local pilot Tony Debany circled the area for nearly an hour in a 1946 Piper Cub helping to direct firefighters to the blaze.
"When our engines got there we saw the smoke, but we weren't sure exactly where the fire was," said Assistant Ridgefield Fire Chief Kevin Tappe. "We got in touch with the control tower who asked the pilot to lead our firefighters into the location."
Because of the difficult terrain and steep cliffs in the area, Tappe said the pilot provided instructions to firefighters via the control tower about what direction to go to avoid impassable terrain.
"I really want to thank those gentlemen," said Tappe, who also happens to be a pilot. "They helped to guide our firefighters into the exact location."
And it wasn't the first time pilots have provided the first reports of fires in the region. It's actually a fairly regular occurrence.
Tappe said it was a pilot who first reported a fire in the same area near Pine Mountain last year.
"Usually if a pilot sees smoke they'll contact the tower who will notify us of the incident," Tappe said. "Pilots are often the first to see the smoke, especially fires like this that are up in the hills."
Dan May, the tower manager, said a pilot reported a fire underway in Weston several weeks ago and controllers relayed the information to emergency responders.
"Sometimes you can go months without an incident like that and sometimes you get a whole bunch in a short time frame," May said. "You just never know. It's part of what we do."
Tappe said the fire, which was within the Hemlock Hills open space property owned by Ridgefield and adjoining private parcels, continued to burn on Thursday afternoon. More than 50 acres had been burned by the blaze, he said, and firefighters dumped more than 24,000 gallons of water on it Thursday alone.
Because of the terrain, Tappe said there were parts of the fire that weren't accessible, but the perimeters had been wetted down and no houses were in danger.
The fire, he said, likely started from "discarded smoking material" from a hiker or hunter in the area.
Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi said that if it wasn't for the initial reports from pilots about the blaze, the fire "could have become more serious and impacted some of the homes in the area."
Source: http://www.newstimes.com
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