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Byline: Greg Stiles
Jun. 18--Regulations designed for highway safety are hurting companies that provide helicopters to fight wildland fires.
Federal rules implemented in January limit truck drivers to 14 hours on duty in a 24-hour period. That essentially requires helicopter companies sending fuel trucks to remote sites to add a second driver.
That doesn't bode well for helicopter operators, already financially pinched by high fuel prices.
"To me, it's a no-brainer, because the drivers are working for short periods of time," said Mark Gibson, helicopter manager for Ashland-based Timberland Logging. "The majority of time is spent at the helipad waiting for the helicopter to come back."