Guard helicopters from three states drop 103,000 gallons on Bunker Fire in one day as containment holds at 75%

CALHOUN COUNTY, Ark. – Chinook helicopters from the Oklahoma and Mississippi National Guard joined Arkansas Black Hawks over the Bunker Fire on Friday, and the four aircraft together made 97 drops and put an estimated 103,040 gallons of water on the largest wildfire Arkansas has seen this summer.

The two Chinooks alone accounted for an estimated 75,440 gallons, according to Camden Municipal Airport, which is serving as the base for the air operation. A privately owned Black Hawk flying under contract with the Arkansas Forestry Division also worked the fire Friday on top of the Guard totals. The airport pumped 4,786 gallons of Jet A into the Guard aircraft Friday alone, with ground support handled entirely by volunteers.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture reported the fire at 2,849 acres and 75% contained Friday evening, unchanged from Thursday. State and federal crews are continuing suppression with help from the Mississippi and Oklahoma Guard, aerial resources remain active and a no-drone, no-fly zone is in place over the fire.

Forestry Division spokesman Robert Murphy said Friday that crews were “cautiously optimistic” and expected containment to keep climbing through the weekend, with the main worry being hot spots along the line where a burning dead tree could throw a spark across.

The out-of-state aircraft arrived through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Mississippi’s Chinook and five-person crew came from Meridian and began flying Friday morning, and Oklahoma’s six-person crew started Friday afternoon. Both are slated to work through Monday and head home Tuesday. Each CH-47 carries a 2,000-gallon Bambi bucket.

“We appreciate Mississippi and Oklahoma for joining Arkansas in this coordinated mission,” Arkansas Division of Emergency Management Director AJ Gary said. “Their aviation support strengthens state and local agencies’ ability to contain the Bunker Fire.”

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders initially mobilized two Arkansas National Guard Black Hawks and two bulldozers on Sept. 15 to assist the Forestry Division, which is leading the response, and two more Black Hawks were added Thursday. By early Wednesday the first two Black Hawks had already dropped more than 48,000 gallons on the fire. On the ground, Guard operators with the Installation Support Unit have been running D6 and D7 dozers alongside local agencies to cut breaks and stop the fire’s spread. Murphy said the extra air support frees up local forestry crews to jump on any new fires that pop up in the county.

The fire has burned north of Caney Creek between U.S. 278 and Arkansas 274, most of it on the southeast side of the 19,000-acre Highland Industrial Park. The fire’s name refers to the hundreds of bunkers, both occupied and vacant, that hold explosives, material and equipment for the park’s weapons makers. Murphy told KATV the fire reached the area around munitions bunkers and burned grass growing on top of them but did not enter the bunkers or ignite any explosive material.

The fire was discovered at 1:15 p.m. Monday and led to the evacuation of 150 people. No injuries have been reported and no structures have been lost. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office ordered residents north of U.S. 278 between Calhoun Road 10 and Calhoun Road 95 to evacuate Monday night, and SAU Tech moved on-campus students to the Camden Fairview High School gym before they were allowed to return.

Lockheed Martin’s Camden Missile and Fire Control facility stayed operational, spokesperson Brittny Sherlock told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Tuesday. Highland Industrial Park on Friday thanked firefighters, emergency personnel and community members who helped protect the park. No other tenant has issued a public statement.

Sanders announced Friday night that her administration has increased the state’s disaster response and recovery funds to $750,000, citing the new Logan County fire and the elevated wildfire risk statewide. “This comes in addition to our coordination with the Arkansas National Guard and state and federal partners,” Sanders said in a post at about 9 p.m.

The Bunker Fire is one of two large wildfires the state is fighting heading into the weekend. The Brown Lane fire in Logan County was at 150 acres and 20% contained Friday evening, with voluntary evacuations underway and multiple roads closed. Burn bans are in place in 70 of Arkansas’ 75 counties, and the Forestry Division asks that any wildfire or smoke be reported immediately to 1-800-468-8834.

The cause of the Bunker Fire remains under investigation.