GRASS VALLEY, Calif., October 28, 2026 – Firefighters from Grass Valley, Nevada County Consolidated Fire and CAL FIRE NEU joined CAL FIRE Air Base and Airport staff on Oct. 28, 2026, for a simulated aircraft crash at the Nevada County Airport. The drill trained crews to coordinate a response to a worst-case scenario: a CAL FIRE air tanker going down at the airport.
The drill trained crews to coordinate a response to a worst-case scenario: a CAL FIRE air tanker going down at the airport.
Airport Manager Paul Cummings and CAL FIRE Air Base Battalion Chief David Krussow both detailed some of the complexities of such an incident. Danger to incoming aircraft, risk of fuel spill or explosions, combined with the pressure to extricate potential patients from the aircraft, to name a few.
The response will inevitably require firefighters from different agencies to respond, just like they do for car accidents, structure fires or wildfires. A coordinated plan and trainings like this one reinforce the integration of all agencies in a worst-case scenario.
The airport and the CAL FIRE air base have a long history of working in tandem, bringing in local and state firefighters rounds out the emergency preparedness at this critical location.