This Bell 212, C-GRIL (ex-XC-DIG) was seen on standby at the BC Wildfire Service's Pemberton Fire Base which is located about 1 km east of Pemberton Regional Airport (CYPS) and north of threshold to Runway 24. The base is the main fire crew base serving the Pemberton region during the fire season. It has a heliport, but no air tanker facility. The heliport is 19 km NE of the Whistler Municipal Heliport (CBE9) and 120 km north of Vancouver. Helicopters are assigned to the Pemberton base according the daily fire risk, but can often include a Tasman Helicopters AS350B-2 or AS350B-3.

Blowing up grass clippings as she prepares to land at Cincinnati West Airport, Harrison, Ohio.

Ascent Helicopters of Parksville, BC acquired this MD900 in October 2012 initially to work on high voltage power line maintenance contracts with BC Hydro, the provincial hydro electric power utility. The company was subsequently awarded an air ambulance contract from its base on Vancouver Island. The helicopter usually transfers island patients to hospitals in Nanaimo and Victoria. The MD900 also serves communities on the BC mainland such as Powell River, with patients transferred to Vancouver hospitals. This is the only MD900 flying in Canada. It was previously N7006X and N902JW.

Possibly in the area due to the wildfire yesterday and is here dropping in for fuel before returning to its Parksville base. It was assembled by Agusta-Bell in 1974 for the UAE military and was imported from Austria in 2021.

Here departing to its Parksville/BC (off airport) base after making a fuel stop on return from an ambulance flight.

The previous day there was a heavy storm of wet snow which then froze overnight. This Bell was out checking for resulting downed power lines today and stopped in for fuel. As can be seen, the apron would make a good skating rink.

Visible at the front of the water tank is the snorkel hose and submersible pump in the stowed position. For a look at how it dumps water on a fire see Photo ID: 186142.

Rapattack fire fighting helicopter emptying its second tank

I'm told this is the only 902 in Canada. It will be working with the Hydro Utility on power lines

A heli tanker which is capable of rapelling firefighters to the fire