SACRAMENTO
CAL FIRE secures 24 additional firefighting aircraft for California
CAL FIRE is bolstering its firefighting aircraft fleet across California for the second year in a row as a result of over $72 million in funding provided by the administration of Gov. Gavin Newsom. The investment has allowed CAL FIRE to secure 24 additional firefighting aircraft (19 helicopters and 5 airplanes for a contractual period of 90-120 days) to enhance their statewide response efforts against wildfires in California. The additional fixed-wing aircraft include 3 large airtankers specifically designed to carry up to 4,000 gallons of retardant. These aircraft have been strategically located in communities across California and will be pre-positioned to meet the needs of potential fire activity throughout the state.
“The deployment of more aircraft dedicated to the people of California marks a historic milestone, with the highest number of firefighting aircraft ever available for initial attack in the state for the second consecutive year,” stated Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. Chief Tyler further explained that “the significant rainfall California experienced this winter has led to a substantial increase of highly flammable fuels, which contribute to the rapid escalation of fires.” Last week alone, CAL FIRE responded to over 300 wildfires as temperatures continued to increase across the state.
Aircraft are initially prepositioned in the following Counties: Butte, Tuolumne, San Diego, Tulare, Humboldt, Mariposa, Nevada, Siskiyou, Sacramento, Fresno, Shasta, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Placer, Lassen, Riverside, and Sonoma Counties.
Established in 1970, CAL FIRE’s aviation program has grown to over 60 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, making it the largest civil aerial firefighting fleet worldwide. This renowned aviation program responds to thousands of wildfires dropping water and fire retardant in California each year.
In light of these efforts, CAL FIRE urges the public to refrain from operating drones over areas with fire activity. It is important to note that flying drones in these areas is strictly prohibited by law. Drone operation hampers aerial firefighting capabilities and poses significant risks to lives, property, and natural resources.
CAL FIRE remains dedicated to the protection of California’s communities and natural landscapes, and these additional firefighting aircraft represent a significant step towards enhancing the state’s wildfire response capabilities.
—Submitted
A scary warning on wildfires
The governor and state fire officials warned Californians late last week that the arrival of significant heat around California signals the start of wildfire season, which could outstrip last year’s mild conditions.
Speaking to reporters at a Cal Fire airbase in Nevada County’s Grass Valley, Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler cautioned residents not to be fooled into thinking that the winter rains — which produced hillsides lush with plants — means the fire season is likely to be less severe. Those green landscapes are fire fuels waiting to light, he said.
State fire crews responded to some 300 fires last week, Tyler said.
“Abundant rain has produced tall grass and vegetation that has dried out already and is ready to burn,” Tyler said. He compared the current conditions to the 2017 fire season, which at the time was the most destructive in California history.
After a rainy start, the weather that year became dry and winds rose, creating nasty fires and sobering statistics: More than 9,200 fires burned more than 1.5 million acres, killed 47 people and destroyed nearly 11,000 structures.
With the backdrop of the state’s extensive fire aviation fleet behind him, Newsom highlighted the state’s investment and reliance on technology to predict and combat fires, including collaborations with the Department of Defense and the Environmental Defense Fund to share satellite data to better track fires.
Sophisticated 3D mapping tools have been used to show views of 30 million acres so far, with the goal of mapping the entire state, he said.
Newsom: “We are modernizing our approach. We need to do things differently.”
Speaking of fires: Cal Fire firefighters may get wage hikes, over and over again, as legislators advance a bill that would require the state to automatically raise their salaries, in perpetuity to match the pay of other local and municipal departments.
Cal Fire workers argue that they are underpaid and overworked. They report working an average of 72 hours a week, compared to 54 hours for local firefighters. Critics of the bill say that Cal Fire workers are among the best-paid government workers and that, if the measure were to pass, future state lawmakers may be put in a bind as they wrestle with budget deficits.
—Lynn La, CALMatters
