New Fire Hawk Choppers Will Bring Cal Fire Nighttime Capabilities

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Cal Fire’s just-approved purchase of a dozen new nighttime-capable helicopters may one day help knock down blazes like Sonoma County’s huge Kincade fire.

That fire was sparked when high winds damaged power lines at about 9:30PM on October 23rd 2019 near the Geysers in northeast Sonoma County. It exploded that night, and over the ensuing days grew to become the county’s largest-ever blaze at over 77 thousand acres.

But the capability the new helicopters bring may still be up to two years away.

The state has agreed to pay some $288 million for 12 Sikorsky Blackhawks that will be outfitted to attack fires at night. The new fleet of choppers will gradually replace the aging 1960s-era Huey helicopters that have been a backbone of Cal Fire’s helicopter attack for years.

The new helicopters come with a high price tag, some $24 million each, but with a cruising speed of 160 miles per hour and a capacity of 1 thousand gallons of water, they should be able to reach hot spots more quickly and attack them with more punch than the older Hueys.

It will take an estimated one to two years to get the new Sikorskys into service, including extensive training for pilots who will be outfitted with night vision goggles for nighttime operations.

Even then, it will be up to Cal Fire to determine if conditions allow the Sikorskys to be used. Even the most high tech and capable choppers like the Fire Hawks can be grounded if winds are too high to fly safely. And high winds can disrupt attempts to drop water from altitude.

Several of the choppers are expected to be stationed at Cal Fire bases within reach of Sonoma County and the North Bay. Already the same twin-engine Sikorskys have been acquired separately by the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the City of San Diego to help in local fire suppression and rescue operations.