KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee National Guard is sending two helicopters to help fight wildfires in Louisiana, according to a release.
They said two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from Knoxville's 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion left Monday morning to support state, county and local emergency responders battling the Tiger Island wildfire — the largest wildfire in the state's history.
They said it was burning in the Beauregard Parish. A 12-person team, including flight crews and a ground maintenance team, is also heading to Louisiana to help fight the fires. The Tennessee National Guard said they would be there for at least the next week.
"Our park crews, especially here in Knoxville, take great pride in being able to give back to the community and being able to support operations here in the U.S., not just in overseas missions," said Captain Hulon Holmes, with the Tennessee National Guard.
They will use "Bambi Buckets," a kind of bucket system suspended from the helicopters, to dump hundreds of gallons of water from the air and fight the wildfires. They will pick up water from nearby water sources and drop it directly onto needed areas.
"The Tennessee National Guard will continue to work with local and state emergency management officials to assist in the firefighting efforts and will regularly provide public updates," the release said.