Increased helicopter activity expected at and around the airport April 21–30

Vance Brand Municipal Airport will play an important role in a major interagency wildfire preparedness exercise April 21-30, 2026. The Colorado Fire Aviation Summit (COFAS), organized by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) and the Colorado National Guard (CONG) will use the airport as a primary flight operations site for helicopter-based fire suppression training.

The goal of the training is to sharpen coordinated response and airspace management between federal, state, and local agencies when fighting wildfires that cross jurisdictional boundaries.

Residents and businesses in neighborhoods surrounding Vance Brand Municipal Airport should expect to see and hear increased helicopter activity throughout the training period. The majority of flight operations are scheduled for April 22-24 and April 28-30.

“Vance Brand Municipal Airport is excited to once again support this annual training,” said Longmont Assistant City Manager, Jenn Ooton. “This year’s training seems especially important considering the current dry conditions and increased fire danger throughout the state.”

The training exercises will include targeted aerial water delivery practice at three Front Range sites: Ralph Price Reservoir at Button Rock Preserve in Longmont, Chatfield State Park in Littleton, and Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City. Temporary public safety closures will be in effect at Button Rock Preserve while aircraft are operating in the area (see map). Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora will also serve as a base for training flights.

“Working with our partners to conduct this type of training is crucial,” said DFPC Director Mike Morgan. “Especially with the current and predicted conditions we are facing with the lack of snowpack this year. Wildfires know no boundaries. They cross between federal, tribal, state, and private lands, making coordination between fire management agencies a fundamental component of wildland firefighting.”

The City of Longmont will participate in the training alongside Boulder Fire-Rescue, the USDA Forest Service (USFS), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In addition to flight operations, the summit includes classroom and academic training sessions at the Army Aviation Support Facility at Buckley Space Force Base.