Winston-Dillard Fire District Station Nr 2 Heliport

The closure was not due to a singular event like an accident or military conversion. It was an administrative and operational decision based on changing needs. The most likely reasons include: a change in regional emergency service protocols, the conclusion of a contract with a specific helicopter service (e.g., for medevac or firefighting), or a determination by the fire district that maintaining an officially registered heliport was no longer cost-effective or necessary. The physical pad remains, suggesting it was decommissioned rather than physically removed due to a specific problem.

The site is the location of the active Winston-Dillard Fire District Station Nr 2, located at 8612 Old Hwy 99 S, Dillard, OR. Satellite imagery of the coordinates confirms that the original paved helipad area still exists on the property behind the fire station building. The painted 'H' marking is faded but visible. The area is now primarily used for parking department vehicles, equipment staging, and training exercises. While officially a 'closed' heliport, the hardened surface could almost certainly be used for an emergency helicopter landing if required and coordinated with the fire district.

The heliport's significance was entirely functional and local. Located at the Winston-Dillard Fire District's Station 2, it served as a critical landing zone for emergency air services in the rural Dillard and South Douglas County area. Its primary operations included:
1) Medical Evacuations (Medevac): Allowing air ambulances, such as those from Mercy Flights, to land and rapidly transport critically ill or injured patients to regional hospitals.
2) Wildfire Suppression Support: Acting as a staging, loading, or refueling point for helicopters involved in fighting frequent wildfires in the surrounding forests.
3) Search and Rescue (SAR): Serving as a base for helicopter operations during search and rescue missions in the nearby rugged terrain.
It was a vital piece of local infrastructure for providing rapid emergency response rather than a public or commercial aviation facility.

There are no known public plans or prospects for formally reopening or re-certifying the heliport. Emergency helicopter services are adept at landing at designated but uncertified landing zones or even suitable unprepared sites. Given that the physical infrastructure (the paved pad) remains available for emergency use, there is likely no operational or financial incentive for the fire district to undergo the administrative process of re-registering it as an official heliport.