Yesterday morning a crew of the 82 ° CSAR Center (Combat Search And Rescue) of Trapani of the 15th flock intervened to extinguish a fire in the area of Erice (TP) where, given the vastness of the area affected by the flames, they were present also Canadair.
The HH-139B helicopter of the Italian Air Force took off just before 7.50 am and three flight sorties were needed to extinguish the flames definitively around 14.30 pm; a total of 45 jumps were made, releasing almost 34.000 liters of water during the 5 hours of flight necessary to put out the fire.
The take-off order came from the AOC (Aerospace Operations Command) of Poggio Renatico (FE), in coordination with the Permanent Unified Operations Room (SOUP) of the Sicily Region.
The HH-139B is part of the assets of the Armed Forces that the Ministry of Defense has made available for the Forest Fire Campaign (AIB) of this year in Sicily, which began last June 15, which consolidates the collaboration, already underway for several years, between the Armed Forces, the National Fire Brigade and Civil Protection (PROCIV). The commitment of the Armed Forces is part of the agreement stipulated between the Ministry of Defense and the Department of Civil Protection as part of the forest fire campaign, which provides for the establishment of the Unified Air Operational Center (COAU), as the coordinating body of interventions in case of emergency .
