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Aerial Firefighting Teams Responding Quickly To New Fires

BROOMFIELD, Colo. (CBS4) - When the Lime Gulch Fire flared up on Wednesday afternoon it seemed like there were helicopters doing bucket drops on the fire and C-130s releasing slurry almost immediately.

Lime Gulch Fire Flares Up On June 19
(credit: CBS)

The quick response from the air is becoming routine as the state sees more and more wildfires breaking out in the current hot and dry conditions.

"When we see a start we want to do our best to put that out and get full suppression so that we can focus on the potential for new starts," said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Chris Sebring.

PHOTO GALLERY: Lime Gulch Fire

For the past week, air tankers from the Forest Service's Jefferson County base in Broomfield haven't had a day off.

Two C-130s and a Type 3 helicopter worked to suppress the Lime Gulch Fire near Conifer. The planes landed, reloaded and flew back once every hour.

With current fire conditions, officials say there's no time to waste.

"When we get this kind of weather, with winds and dry weather, that can turn into a big fire and we want to do our best to get a jump on that right away," Sebring said.

The Lime Gulch Fire is burning in a scarcely populated area. The significant attention from the air is intended to limit how close to homes it could get.

"They'll be flying today. They'll fly tomorrow if needed. It's about having the right resources at the right time for the right duration," Sebring said.

Wildfire Resources

- Visit CBSDenver.com's Wildfire Resources section.

- Read recent Wildfire stories.

Wildfire Photo Galleries

- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

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