COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - With wildfires burning across Colorado’s western slope, an airbase just outside the Colorado Springs airport is proving critical to helping crews on the ground.

According to those who run the Colorado Springs Airtanker Base, they’ve had a busy week filling tankers with fuel and fire retardant, and sending them to where they’re needed.

“Most of the fires that were supporting are on the Western Slope right now, the Lee Fire, the Elk RBX Fire, Stoner Mesa, Middle Mesa down in New Mexico, they’ve been busy all week and it’s been support from here all over,” base manager Josh Walk said.

In total, U.S. Forest Service officials tell 11 News the base has contributed 227,000 gallons of retardant that have been dropped on fires. For comparison, they said the base

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