Brinnon Fire Department’s Jerry Rule has returned from a two-week deployment fighting the Palmer, Evans Canyon and Bartholomew wildfires.
Rule runs Brinnon Fire Department’s Wildland Firefighting Program and served as the helicopter manager for the multi-agency effort to quell the flames across Washington, which recently kicked up once again amid a recent bout of dry, windy weather.
“My job is to manage getting the helicopter airborne, going to the fire at the right frequencies. And then I respond to the fire and I help manage aviation resources on the scene while supporting my aircraft,” Rule said in an interview with The Leader during his deployment.
Rule was tasked with overseeing the airborne operations for a heavy-lift helicopter as it conducted firefighting efforts.