CUSTER, S.D. – Fire officials on the Black Hills National Forest have placed an order for a Single-Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) to be pre-positioned at the air tanker base located next to Rapid City Regional Airport.
“We typically do not pre-position SEATs at the tanker base in Rapid City, but we are simply augmenting our resource capability for initial attack on fires in grassy areas until we see full green up,” said Jason Virtue, Fire and Aviation Staff Officer on the Black Hills National Forest.
The SEAT can carry up to 800 gallons of water or retardant.
The aircraft is expected to arrive at the air tanker base today as warmer weather and windy conditions are forecasted for the next couple of weeks.
