RAMONA, Calif. (KGTV) — As California heads into another dangerous wildfire season, Cal Fire is showing off a major investment aimed at getting firefighters to flames faster and more efficiently.
The first phase of a $12 million renovation at the Ramona Air Attack Base is now complete, replacing a decades-old tarmac with a modern airfield built to support the agency's newest generation of firefighting aircraft.
The upgraded base is now home to two of Cal Fire's most advanced firefighting resources: the C-130 Hercules air tanker and the Cal Fire Hawk helicopter.
During a tour of the facility, Cal Fire Captain Michael Cornette took ABC 10News inside the C-130 Hercules, one of the agency's most critical firefighting aircraft. The massive tanker can carry up to 4,000 gallons of fire retardant, allowing crews to quickly build fire lines and slow the spread of fast-moving wildfires.
Stepping inside the cockpit offers a new appreciation for the skill required to operate the aircraft. The flight deck is packed with digital displays, switches, levers and navigation systems. Behind all of those controls are highly trained pilots who must precisely maneuver the aircraft over rugged terrain while delivering retardant exactly where firefighters need it.
"We've seen this in action quite a bit in the last month or so that we've been able to quickly suppress all the fires fairly quickly just because of the added increased capacity of these air tankers and the speed at which we're able to get to the fires as well," Cornette said.
The improvements extend well beyond the aircraft themselves.
The upgraded base has increased staffing from about 10 personnel on duty each day to roughly 40, providing more pilots, firefighters, mechanics and support crews ready to respond when fires break out.
Cal Fire says the combination of modern infrastructure, expanded staffing and upgraded aircraft is helping improve response times while giving firefighters more resources to attack fires before they become major incidents.
"In the last 20 years we've seen explosive fires, some of the most destructive and largest fires we've seen in California's history," Cornette said. "So being able to update the facility, upgrade our aircraft, is key to being able to meet the changing environment that we're seeing with wildland fires, especially here in San Diego."
While the first phase of renovations is complete, Cal Fire says the upgraded Ramona Air Attack Base represents a long-term investment in protecting San Diego County and the rest of Southern California as wildfire seasons become longer, hotter and more destructive.
