CAL FIRE IS PREPARING its aerial units and crews for rapid deployments as wildfire season is expected to ramp up over the summer.
On Monday, three rotor-wing aircraft — a part of the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Cal Fire unit — were showcased by unit Fire Chief Matt Ryan at the Napa County Airport. Cal Fire has positioned its aircraft in strategic areas in order to reach fires as fast as possible.
“Cal Fire has deployed aircraft across California ahead of peak fire conditions to ensure a rapid, aggressive initial attack,” said Ryan.
Monday’s showcase at the airport was meant to highlight the effort Cal Fire has made to protect local communities. It was also a chance to show off their choppers.
Cal Fire said that the response rate afforded by the aerial fleet is even more important this fire season as it has already been trending above normal fire incident levels. According to the agency, a warmer and drier than usual spring has left Northern and Southern California at a higher risk for fires.
Cal Fire’s most recent statistics as of Monday report almost 93,000 acres have burned so far this year, compared to about 53,000 acres in all of 2024. Even excluding the Los Angeles-area Palisades and Eaton fires — two of California’s most destructive fires in history — this current season is still surpassing last year’s.
This year, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed an additional $200 million more for Cal Fire over last year, totaling over $4.4 billion. Funds would go to staffing, prevention programs, and improving response rates, the governor’s office said.
Containment is everything
Ryan told those assembled at Monday’s showcase that Cal Fire has a goal of containing 95% of the fires they fight to 10 acres or less, adding that the aviation resources are “key” to achieving this goal.
Two aircraft on display at the airport were a Boeing CH-47D Chinook and Sikorsky UH-60A+ Black Hawk, both helicopters. Both primarily work to drop water and foam on fires with a capacity of 2,300 gallons and 1,100, respectively. Although the flight crews are contracted out, they work closely with Cal Fire on missions around the state.
On the tarmac was also one of the newest additions to the agency’s fleet, the Cal Fire Hawk. It’s a Sikorsky S-70i helicopter purchased for $23 million after the state allocated $95.7 million in fiscal year 2018-19 for the replacement of older aircraft. The Fire Hawks are 12 helicopters that were meant to replace the aging Super Huey helicopters, aircraft that were reused from the Vietnam War and were deemed too slow and too old.
The Cal Fire Hawk has the capacity to transport up to nine firefighters and up to 1,000 gallons of water for pilot-controlled drops. Although the Fire Hawk is based at Boggs Mountain Helitack Base in Lake County, the aircraft is faster than its predecessor and has a listed range of 250 miles.
Alan Alcocer is a flight engineer and said his role is to ensure aircraft systems are operating normally before and during operation and to assist the pilots with navigation and preparation during missions.
“I look at places for the aircraft to hover and act as the eyes behind the pilots to help them while they fly,” said Alcocer, who added that he also helps act as a guide for the release of water.
Patrick McNamara is a seasonal firefighter who has been with Cal Fire for a year, he said. He is one of the firefighters transported by helicopter to active sites, which he said is far faster than getting there by vehicle.
“We land, the fire crew gets out, and then the helicopter stays around and drops water on the fire while we attack from the ground,” said McNamara.
Rapid response
During the showcase, aerial crew skills were put on display. The Cal Fire Hawk’s team put on their yellow firefighting gear and jumped into the aircraft. A fuel truck quickly parked next to the helicopter as Alcocer monitored the process. The team was getting ready to respond to a fire in Rodeo in Contra Costa County.
The sound of the engines and turbines roared to life as Alcocer stood outside the helicopter making sure all systems were functioning correctly. He then boarded after doing a check of the exterior and the pilots began to conduct their final checklist items.
Soon after checking that the tilt mechanism was working, the pilots of the Cal Fire Hawk increased the speed of the rotors, creating a powerful gust of wind across the apron. It took off south with its tanks full and a cabin full of firefighters ready to get on the ground and help contain the growing fire.
Quick responses like the one Monday in Rodeo and the presence of the aircraft in Napa and surrounding counties has been appreciated, said Napa County Supervisor Anne Cottrell at the event. She said thanks to the presence of Cal Fire’s aerial crews in the region, Napa County has only seen two wildfires a year larger than 10 acres since 2021, as compared to the preceding decade when she says the county saw nearly five a year.