SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – San Diego County is going to be able to fight wildfires at any time of day.
“When the sun sets, we are dependent on outside area helicopters to come into San Diego County,” Chief Tony Mecham, Cal Fire & San Diego County Fire, said.
It’s all thanks to a new resource approved by the county board of supervisors.
“For the first time, the addition of this helicopter will provide 24-hour wildland firefighting coverage,” Mecham said.
It’s a new $38 million helicopter called a Sikorsky S-70 Firehawk that can do those vital water drops even when the sun’s not out.
“This allows us 24 hours of the day to have aircraft flying and hopefully keep them when they're small,” Mecham said.
The aircraft can carry 1,000 gallons of water per drop, nearly triple the existing aircraft's capacity, according to the County.
“It's really an opportune time for us in the shadows in the evening and the early morning hours to get these aircraft up,” Mecham said. “And we've also found that in some cases, it’s easier for the pilots to see through the smoke at night with the night vision goggles and kind of the orange glow from the fire. So, it has proven highly effective.”
We’ve seen the choppers like this, which came down from Riverside, be used in local fires this year, like the wildfire in Pala.
“The forward rate of spread was stopped by the next morning. I think in large part, we flew the air force that night,” Mecham said. “Not just one, we had three or four helicopters here flying that night. So, I think we've already seen the value of these aircraft.”
The air attack asset is expected to be in San Diego County by next spring.
“The future's bright and, I think, we have the commitment not only from our elected officials, but the residents here understand the incredible threat of wildfire and that we have to continue to evolve over time,” Mecham said.
