El Paso County can now use supertanker for wildfires

El Paso County will now be able to use the firefighting supertanker airplane that is stationed in Colorado Springs whenever major wildfires break out in the county.

The announcement came from El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder Tuesday, who said the county has secured a contract with Global SuperTanker Services LLC for large fires in the area.

The supertanker will be available “if we have a fire of that magnitude that we need those resources,” Elder said.

Elder said the county had been working for “some time” to get the contract in place. Details of the contract weren’t given, and it’s not known how long the contract is for.

About 10,000 acres have already burned this year in the county as a result of wildfires.