With peak fire season approaching, authorities have joined to demonstrate the air power available to the San Diego region should disaster strike again.
Crews can use up multiple helicopters locally, including Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire’s exclusive-use contracted helicopter. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has three, while the U.S. Forest Service and the city of San Diego have two each.
In addition, SDG&E has five, including the Erickson Aircrane, which has the capacity to carry 2,650 gallons of water.
The public and private partners gathered at Gillespie Field in El Cajon Friday in recognition of National Aviation Week, while also recognizing the 20-year anniversary of the county’s most disastrous wildfire, the Cedar Fire.
In late October 2003, the region suffered through three large wildland fires at once. The blazes burned more than 376,000 acres and killed 16 people.
On Friday, fire officials not only emphasized the region’s air assets, but also the interagency collaboration required when fighting large-scale wildfires.
CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire Chief Tony Mecham said, in a statement from SDG&E, that “a multi-agency regional response consisting of units from all over California” made it possible to gain control over the Cedar fire and the two other blazes.
“The ultimate goal in keeping everyone safe is to keep fires small. The changes in our climate mean that fire season is a year-round concern for California and many of our neighboring states,” said San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Colin Stowell. “Which is why it’s so important that the agencies within our county support each other through sharing resources when necessary.”
The helicopters, officials said, allow first responders to swiftly respond to fire outbreaks in a number of ways, from precise water and fire-retardant drops of up to thousands of gallons to aerial reconnaissance and communication.
“Our aerial assets have played a critical role in both fighting wildfires and assisting with evacuation messaging. While one helicopter is outfitted for fighting the fire, another has the capability of using a public address system to assist with evacuation messaging in the event of a phone or wireless outage,” said San Diego County Undersheriff Rich Williams.
The county’s more remote areas, with mountains, rugged terrain and sensitive habitats, pose another significant challenge to ground-based firefighting efforts. Aerial assets give firefighters a view from on high, while protecting the safety of personnel and giving them access to terrain that would otherwise be inaccessible on foot.
“Extinguishing wildfires as quickly as possible before they become large and destructive is paramount, and Wildland Firefighting aircraft is a key component of our arsenal; without it, we would not be nearly as successful,” said Cleveland National Forest Fire Chief Talbot Hayes.
For SDG&E, said Chief Operating Officer & Chief Safety Officer, Kevin Geraghty, the regional partnerships are “a testament to our shared commitment to protecting lives, property and the communities we’re proud to serve.”
