Company:Bridger Aerospace

From HandWiki
Bridger Aerospace
TypePublic
NASDAQ: BAER
IndustryAerospace
Founded2014
FounderTim Sheehy
Headquarters
Belgrade, Montana
,
United States
Key people
  • Sam Davis (CEO)
  • James Muchmore (CLO)
  • Eric Gerratt (CFO)
[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Bridger Aerospace is an American aerospace company which provides aerial firefighting and wildfire management services.[2] The company has supported firefighting efforts in 24 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.[3]

In January 2023, Bridger went public via SPAC merger with a valuation of $869 million.[4] The company has not been profitable since going public.[5]

History

The company was founded in 2014 by Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL who utilized airborne surveillance during his service.[6][7] Initially, Sheehy operated one plane to assist ranchers with tracking their cattle from the air.[2] He shifted the company's focus to aerial firefighting during the 2015 wildfire season.[8]

In 2018, Bridger was one of four companies awarded a contract with the United States Department of the Interior to use drones in emergency situations, including during wildfires.[9] It became the first private company to legally use drones for wildfire fighting during the Martin Fire in Nevada, mapping 435,000 acres of burned land in 11 flight runs.[2][9]

By August 2019 the company had grown to a fleet of 20 aircraft and a staff of 100.[10]

In March 2020, Bridger Aerospace offered its fleet to healthcare workers for moving supplies and patients as a response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.[11] The company also manufactured face shields that it donated to frontline workers and used its fleet to deliver other personal protection equipment to medical personnel throughout Montana.[12][13][14]

Bridger was the launch customer for the De Havilland CL-415EAF Firefighting Aircraft.[15]

In 2024, Tim Sheehy resigned as CEO to focus on his candidacy in the U.S. Senate election in Montana, which he later won.[5] On Monday, March 17th, Sam Davis was appointed CEO by the Board of Directors. Prior to his appointment, Davis served as Interim CEO following Sheehy's resignation in July 2024.[16]

In January 2026, it was announced that Bridger had acquired additional firefighting and air attack aircraft to expand its operational fleet. The purchases included two Canadair CL-215T amphibious firefighting aircraft, acquired for approximately $50 million, following the earlier acquisition of four air attack aircraft in late 2025.[17]

Operations

The company is headquartered in Belgrade, Montana and provides aerial firefighting services to government agencies, including the United States Forest Service, across the U.S.[10] Its planes are used for fire suppression and it uses unmanned aerial vehicles to map and provide surveillance of fires.[2] The drones provide fire crews with information including infrared imagery of active fires, and support communication with and tracking of firefighters on the ground.[18]

Fleet

As of 2021, the company's fleet includes over 20 aircraft, including:

Aircraft No. of aircraft Variants Notes
AC500 Shrike Commander[8] 1 S Twin Engine Piston
AC690 Turbine Commander[8] 5 A, B, C Twin Engine Turbine
AC681 Turbine Commander 1 A Twin Engine Turbine
K100 Daher Kodiak[8] 4 S Single Engine Turbine
Pilatus PC-12[19] 3 PC-12 Single Engine Turbine
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 1 Series 300 Twin Engine Turbine with Floats
FVR90 2 Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)
Canadair CL-415[8] 6 CL-415EAF[20][21] EAF "Enhanced Aerial Firefighter" configuration

References

  1. ↑ "Executive Team". https://ir.bridgeraerospace.com/company-information/executive-team. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Writer, Abby Lynes Chronicle Staff (8 September 2019). "Fighting fires and thwarting drones: Belgrade-based sister companies expanding" (in en). https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/fighting-fires-and-thwarting-drones-belgrade-based-sister-companies-expanding/article_5008070d-bb6a-52ac-b9c4-8652852bab25.html. 
  3. ↑ "Bridger Aerospace Charts". https://bridgeraerospace.com/charts/. 
  4. ↑ Katje, Chris. "Benzinga's 'Stock Whisper' Index: 5 Stocks Investors Are Secretly Monitoring, But Not Yet Talking About" (in English). https://www.benzinga.com/m-a/23/01/30593389/benzingas-stock-whisper-index-5-stocks-investors-are-secretly-monitoring-but-not-yet-talking-about. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Reinhard, Beth; O'Connell, Jonathan (August 10, 2024). "Montana GOP Senate candidate touts his business. It's losing millions.". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/10/tim-sheehy-firefighting-company-losses-wildfires/. 
  6. ↑ "CEO Of Bridger Aerospace (BAER) On The Importance For Aerial Wildfire Fighting Services". https://tdameritradenetwork.com/video/ceo-of-bridger-aerospace-baer-on-the-importance-for-aerial-wildfire-fighting-services. 
  7. ↑ Record, AL KNAUBER Independent (27 August 2015). "Matter of valor: Former Navy SEAL awarded Bronze Star, Purple Heart" (in en). https://helenair.com/news/local/matter-of-valor-former-navy-seal-awarded-bronze-star-purple-heart/article_12b5f0ca-83f6-5608-bb92-54fd1f5f5401.html. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 "Bridger Aerospace - Scooping to Success". AerialFire Magazine. November 2020. https://issuu.com/aerialfiremag/docs/aerialfire_novdec_48/s/11290437. Retrieved February 26, 2021. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Wright, Michael (20 July 2018). "Drones becoming vital part of wildland firefighting" (in en). https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/environment/drones-becoming-vital-part-of-wildland-firefighting/article_108fa1ce-1e2f-51b0-b8f0-1d94e33aa2bb.html. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Krevat, Gaby (August 20, 2019). "Bozeman high-tech firm provides jobs for veterans and Montana State University graduates". KBKZ. https://www.kbzk.com/news/local-news/bozeman-high-tech-firm-provides-jobs-for-veterans-and-montana-state-university-graduates. 
  11. ↑ "Local company offers planes to support patients and healthcare workers" (in en). 25 March 2020. https://www.khq.com/regional/local-company-offers-planes-to-support-patients-and-healthcare-workers/article_5a1ad133-cf76-5a62-a65e-2d73ff28cfeb.html. 
  12. ↑ "Bridger Aerospace makes face shields for Bozeman Health and emergency responders" (in en). 2020-04-17. https://www.kbzk.com/news/coronavirus/bridger-aerospace-makes-face-shields-for-bozeman-health-and-emergency-responders. 
  13. ↑ Evans, Cameron (8 April 2020). "Bridger Aerospace delivers face shields to Frenchtown firefighters" (in en). https://missoulian.com/news/local/bridger-aerospace-delivers-face-shields-to-frenchtown-firefighters/article_4ae576eb-cf43-589e-8beb-0d2be3b181a5.html. 
  14. ↑ Davidson, Marian (2020-04-16). "Bozeman company donates masks across western Montana". https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/bozeman-company-donates-masks-across-western-montana. 
  15. ↑ "Longview delivers first production Viking CL-415eaf Enhancel Aerial Firefighter to Launch Customer Bridger Aerospace Group" (in English). https://www.vikingair.com/company-careers/media-centre/longview-delivers-first-production-viking-cl-415eaf-enhanced-aerial. 
  16. ↑ https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/bridger-aerospace-appoints-sam-davis-chief-executive-officer-1034483077
  17. ↑ Cuenca, Oliver. "Bridger Aerospace acquires new aircraft" (in en). https://www.airmedandrescue.com/latest/news/bridger-aerospace-acquires-new-aircraft. 
  18. ↑ Magill, Jim (November 2, 2020). "Fighting Wildfires with Drones: On the Front Lines with Bridger Aerospace". DRONELIFE. https://dronelife.com/2020/11/02/fighting-wildfires-with-drones-on-the-front-lines-with-bridger-aerospace/. 
  19. ↑ "2022 Brochure" (in en-US). https://www.bridgeraerospace.com/about/. 
  20. ↑ Montana, Rachel Louise; Just ABC FOX (30 September 2019). "Belgrade-based company expanding aerial firefighting fleet" (in en). KULR-8 Local News. https://www.kulr8.com/news/montana/belgrade-based-company-expanding-aerial-firefighting-fleet/article_b4498b2f-b73a-5bbb-af0a-fad04e6a23bd.html. 
  21. ↑ Gabbert, Bill (2020-04-18). "Bridger Aerospace receives the first Viking CL-415EAF" (in en-US). WildFire Today (International Association of Wildland Fire). https://wildfiretoday.com/bridger-aerospace-receives-the-first-viking-cl-415eaf/. 



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