KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Three military planes were potentially damaged, after the fire suppression system went off in a Coast Guard hangar in Kodiak on April 17.
Coast Guard Public Affairs Officer Shannon Kearny said three HC-130 aircraft were exposed to high-expansion fire-fighting foam.
“Upon realizing no fires were present, personnel deactivated the suppression system,” she said. “The system discharged for approximately 20 seconds with all of the high-expansion foam being contained within the hangar.”
The fire suppression system was undergoing maintenance at the time, but officials aren’t sure what triggered it. It’s currently unknown when the investigation will be complete.
The large planes are grounded while they undergo checks for damage. However, the base has two other HC-130s that were outside the hangar at the time and were unaffected.
Kearny said the HC-130 serves as their long-range aircraft.
“They give us a good kind of eye-in-the-sky for a lot of our search and rescue cases – they can go farther,” she said. “They’re good for bigger cargo transport.”
All of the base’s helicopters were stored in other hangars and weren’t affected either.
Kearny said “Air Station Kodiak’s readiness hasn’t been affected,” despite being down the three planes for the time being.
