Forestry Fire Pilot

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

7/26/2018

Special Act Award (Gold)

On July 26, 2018, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Forestry Fire Pilot Nicholas Lopes responded to the Carr Fire. He battled the fire from the air, using his helicopter to drop water onto the flames. Just before 6:00 p.m., Bulldozer Operator Don Smith made contact by radio and requested water drops. The fire had jumped over the bulldozer line that he had been working, trapping him. Pilot Lopes immediately began making numerous water drops through the smoke in the bulldozer’s last known location in an effort to stave off the flames and save Mr. Smith’s life. Through heavy smoke, wind and rapidly growing fire activity, Pilot Lopes made approximately 21 trips, dropping an estimated 5,000 gallons of water on the area. These drops persisted over twenty minutes, until Pilot Lopes was forced to land inside the fire area at the base of Spring Creek Dam when a temperature warning light came in his helicopter. Pilot Lopes returned to his mission after only twenty minutes of down time and continued the water drops. He risked his life by returning to the air despite the warning light, which indicated that the air temperatures outside were high enough to dangerously decrease the helicopter’s performance and made the challenging conditions even more perilous. Tragically, Bulldozer Operator Don Smith perished in the fire despite the heroic efforts of Pilot Lopes. With no regard for his own safety, Pilot Lopes went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Forestry Fire Pilot Nicholas Lopes.