Corte Madera Ranch VMP Burn Helicopter Incident 2012

The Sheriff’s Helicopter was assisting CAL FIRE and San Diego County Fire Authority ground resources on the Corte Madera Ranch VMP burn in South East San Diego County. The VMP project has been ongoing in the San Diego Unit and the current project portion covers some 600 acres with multiple burn plots. Operations on this date began at approximately 9:30 AM. The Crew on the Helicopter consisted of a San Diego County Sheriff’s pilot and a CAL FIRE Helitack Captain. At approximately 10:20 AM, the Helicopter sustained moderate heat damage to the front exterior surface area of the helicopter’s cockpit during flight operations. The pilot was able to land the helicopter at a nearby Helibase without further incident or injuries. After cleared by the Sheriff’s helicopter mechanic, it flew back to home base without incident.