Western Australia contracts two firefighting Black Hawks
The government of Western Australia (WA) has committed an additional A$10.1 million to support aerial firefighting efforts in the state
The funds will be used to bring two additional Black Hawk helicopters to the state to bolster its aerial firefighting fleet over the 2024–25 bushfire season, which the government described in a statement as likely to be “challenging”.
The rotorcraft, which can each carry up to 4,500L of water, will be available for the 2025–26 fire season as well.
The two aircraft will be stationed in strategic locations to the north and south of the metropolitan region (the area surrounding the city of Perth, where approximately 75% of WA’s population live).
During last year’s 2023–24 fire season, WA’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) reported a total of 5,088 bushfires – 1,000 more than the number counted in the preceding year. Additionally, the Department said the first emergency-level bushfire occurred much earlier than usual, in October 2023.
The WA Police Force Air Wing received two new Airbus H145s last year.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector!