Hibbing air tanker base gets overhaul to help fight wildfires

DULUTH - A Hibbing air tanker base used for fighting wildfires will get a major overhaul thanks to more than $6 million set aside in the infrastructure bill signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz last month.

Because of cracks and other deterioration in the base's ramp, large air tankers that drop water and fire retardant on wildfires can't travel into and out of the Hibbing base. That means the Brainerd base — more than 90 miles away by air — must be used when larger tankers are needed, and that can lead to delays, said Bill Glesener, of the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids.

The air tanker base is on the east side of Hibbing's Range Regional Airport and is operated by the Minnesota Interagency Fire Agency and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Part of the bonding will go toward replacing outdated facilities and reconstructing the ramp, which is similar to replacing a road. The DNR hopes to have it finished next spring. Smaller aircraft used for aerial fire suppression will likely be staged in Eveleth during construction, Glesener said.

Walz's capital improvement recommendations included $9.4 million in improvements for both Hibbing and Brainerd facilities. The House bill that ultimately passed included $6.4 million for Hibbing improvements.