Southern California

Two of the World's Largest Firefighting Helicopters Are Ready for Wildfire Duty in SoCal

The CH-47s are considered the world's largest fire suppression, retardant-dropping helicopters with the capacity to carry 3,000 gallons.

NBC Universal, Inc.

A 180-day program providing additional firefighting helicopters to departments in Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties will begin Tuesday.

The Quick Reaction Force program includes two Boeing Chinook CH-47 helitankers, one based at Van Nuys Air Tanker Base and the other at the Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, and a Sikorsky S-61 helitanker, based in Ventura County.

The CH-47s are considered the world's largest fire suppression, retardant-dropping helicopters with the capacity to carry 3,000 gallons. Unlike other firefighting helicopters, they have the ability to fly at night.

"That's a lot of firefighting power, if you will, when you can drop 3,000 gallons of water onto a brush fire. It's an important tool," Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Thanh Nguyen told City News Service. "We're grateful that we will be able to use it. It's impressive."

The program is being financed with nearly $18 million from Southern California Edison.

Millions of residents in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties are among the most vulnerable living within wildfire-prone areas, fire experts said.

Extreme drought conditions and dry vegetation, along with predictions of a dire wildfire season ahead, led to the formation of the QRF program.

LA County Fire Department is preparing for a tough week, already this weekend a few brush fires kept the crews busy. Darsha Philips reports for NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on June 13, 2021.

"Generally, when we get a wildfire, it's accompanied with strong winds," Nguyen said. "(Helicopter) pilots have a lot to contend with."

The QRF program contracts exclusively for up to 180 days with Coulson Aviation to combine aerial firefighting resources, pre-assembled in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, with a mobile retardant base and hover-filling tanks.

For the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the CH-47s will enhance the department's air operations fleet which includes five Sikorsky S-70 Firehawks and five Bell 412 helicopters, in addition to a seasonal contract with Quebec for the 90-day lease of two CL-415 SuperScoopers expected to arrive in early September, officials said.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
Contact Us