MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — A new aircraft facility is coming to the Mountain Home Municipal Airport in an effort to reduce response times to help fight wildland fires.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced on Wednesday it will begin construction of the Mountain Home Single Engine Air Tanker Base on Sunday, July 21. Authorities said the base will feature a fire-retardant loading pad, containment area, evaporation pond, two taxi lanes, operations building and storage facility.
“This facility will significantly enhance our local and regional wildland fire aviation support capacity. Mountain Home’s central location is strategically advantageous, enabling us to efficiently support both local and regional communities," BLM Boise District Fire Management Officer Chris Cromwell said. “This area experiences one of the highest amount of new fires in the country, making this facility crucial for our firefighting efforts.”
Authorities said the facility would be added to the existing airport. BLM funding and a lease agreement with the City of Mountain Home Airport made it possible.
The BLM said it expects the base to be completed by May 2025.
“We’re extremely excited to see the new improvements to the SEAT Base get underway and look forward to the opportunities this will afford us in the coming years,” Cromwell said in a news release.