Ridgewood Infrastructure, a leading infrastructure investor focused on essential services in the U.S. lower middle market, announced the acquisition of Dauntless Air, a provider of aerial firefighting and emergency management infrastructure for wildfire response. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Dauntless owns and operates North America’s largest fleet of Fire Boss aircraft, specialized water-scooping air tankers known as Single Engine Scoopers (SES). The company provides aircraft, personnel, and support equipment under long-term government contracts that support wildfire suppression efforts across the United States.
Wildfire response has become an increasingly important public infrastructure priority as fire seasons have grown longer and more severe in many parts of the country. Dauntless operates under an availability-based contract model that enables government agencies to position aircraft ahead of fire season and redeploy assets based on changing conditions. This flexibility helps protect communities, critical infrastructure, and natural resources from wildfire threats.
The company has built decades-long relationships with federal and state government customers. Its market position is supported by specialized aircraft, strict operational and regulatory requirements, and a highly trained workforce, creating significant barriers to entry.
Following the acquisition, Dauntless will continue to be led by Chief Executive Officer Brett L’Esperance and the existing management team. Ridgewood plans to support investments in operational capabilities, customer relationships, and strategic growth initiatives. The company also intends to expand the platform through fleet growth, adjacent service offerings, and selective acquisitions.
Ridgewood Infrastructure focuses on partnering with management teams to build and scale infrastructure platforms that provide critical services to customers and communities.
Dauntless Air is dedicated to protecting people, land, and property from wildfires. Equipped with an advanced Fire Boss fleet, the company supports rapid initial attack operations and wildfire suppression efforts, helping firefighters and government agencies contain fires more quickly and at a lower cost than traditional tanker methods.
KEY QUOTES:
“Dauntless is a highly differentiated emergency management infrastructure platform operating at the center of an increasingly important public safety mission. The Company has established a leadership position through its scale, operational capabilities and long-standing relationships, and we look forward to partnering with Dauntless leadership and the entire team to continue growing the platform.”
Ryan Stewart, Partner, Ridgewood Infrastructure
“Our team is known for delivering operational excellence, reliability, safety and innovation in some of the most challenging wildfire environments in North America. We are looking forward to building on that reputation in partnership with Ridgewood, which shares our commitment to continuously improving our capabilities, investing in our people and providing our customers the highest level of service.”
Brett L’Esperance, Chief Executive Officer, Dauntless Air
“Dauntless embodies many of the characteristics we seek in an infrastructure investment: essential services, mission-critical operations, strong barriers to entry and avenues for operational growth. We are excited to support management as they continue expanding the platform’s capabilities.”
Ross Posner, Managing Partner, Ridgewood Infrastructure
