The Firehawk helicopter, worth $24 million, was sitting in a hanger for scheduled maintenance. “It will be ready sometime this fall to support efforts as needed,” Jones says of the new chopper, dubbed Firehawk 2. This highly specialized Sikorsky helicopter is shipped from overseas, and then modified by a Colorado company to carry up to 1,000 gallons of water. It looks like a chopper, but it works like a slurry bomber, and having two is a great insurance policy. “This fall, and into 2026, we will have that second Firehawk, so if one of them has to stand down for maintenance we’re going to have more aircraft available,” Jones says.