Flying into raging Creek Fire to save others? These brave teams deserve our gratitude

The devastation wrought by the Creek Fire will become fully known in coming days and weeks, but already there is loss of homes in the community of Big Creek and the obliteration of a beloved Sierra icon, Cressman’s General Store below Shaver Lake.

Yet there have been incredible moments of bravery for which we can all be thankful. Among them are the rescue flights by military helicopters.

Kip Goding, a chief warrant officer 5 in the California Army National Guard, is a Fresno resident who has been flying for 25 years. Some of those missions have been overseas, where he was shot at by enemies on the ground.

The worst flying conditions the UH-60 Black Hawk pilot has faced? The nighttime mission this past weekend to rescue hundreds of people trapped by the Creek Fire at Mammoth Pool, which is due north from Shaver Lake, deep in the Sierra.

Worse than being shot at

“Occasionally we get shot at overseas doing missions, but that comes and goes very quick and you don’t have time to do anything else, you are just happy you did not get hit, and you continue with the mission,” Goding told reporters. “Here the stress and added workload of going in and out of that fire every time is, by far, the toughest flying I have ever done.”

Joining Goding in the rescue flights was Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joseph Rosamond of Stockton, who piloted a Chinook helicopter.

Both aircraft took people huddled along the dock area at the reservoir, which is on a fork of the San Joaquin River, and flew them to Fresno, where the injured got medical treatment.

In all, the helicopters made three tips to the reservoir Saturday night into Sunday morning. More than 200 people were evacuated as the flames closed in.

Flying capacities tested

People jammed into the helicopters to the point their flying capacities were at their limits, Rosamond said.

Goding noted that they could only see through the thick smoke by using night-vision goggles.

“Every piece of vegetation you could see as far as you could see around that lake was on fire,” Goding said. “Those night vision goggles allowed us to keep on going one ridge further.”

The military flights continued Monday night into Tuesday when the Navy and Marines joined the Army National Guard to rescue about 100 people caught at back-country spots like China Peak ski resort and Edison Lake.

Grateful for action

The rescues are reminders of how the Fresno community is blessed to have such military resources to depend on.

Without the flights, the rescues by ground crews would have likely been impossible, given the ferocity of the flames and blinding clouds of smoke.

Without the air evacuations, the degree of tragedy would likely have been magnified many times over.

Here is a heartfelt thank you to the courageous air crews of the Army National Guard, the Navy and Marines.