Crews At Peterson AFB Get Aircraft Ready For Wildfire Season

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - With all the snow most of Coloradans aren't thinking about fire danger, but the people who work to protect Coloradans are preparing for wildfire season.

Crews at Peterson Air Force Base are getting their aircraft ready. The planes can drop up to 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in a single sweep. They can be deployed anywhere in the West.

"It's almost the summertime, that means the fire season is about to kick off in the western states," said Rich Pantusa, a MAFFS pilot. "We do this every year, we knock off the rust."

The C-130 crews will continue training next week in California.

Wildfire Resources

- Visit CBSDenver.com's Living With Wildfire section.

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.