California firefighters battle historic fires from the sky using a variety of high-performance and specialized water and fire retardant aircraft. Los Angeles.
The government's fleet includes tactical aircraft, air tankers and helicopters. They all have specific roles and skills but are working together as part of fighting the fires which have been burning since Tuesday and they killed 10 people and burning tens of thousands of hectares.
According to Cal Fire's website, the fleet's more than 60 aircraft and helicopters make it the largest fleet of firefighting equipment in the world. Its fleet operates from 14 airfields and 11 helicopters throughout the country that can reach a mass of fire within about 20 minutes.
A Super Scooper plane drops water on the Palisades Fire Tuesday, January 7, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, Calif. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Tactical aircraft often lead tanker aircraft, which previously provided routes and coordinated tankers and ground fire fighters. According to Reuters, the majority of Cal Fire's tactical aircraft are the North American Rockwell OV-10 twin-turboprop, most aircraft in service with the US Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force until the 1990s.
Cal Fire tankers drop fire retardant into the area below.
The Grumman S-2T tanker, with its two turboprop engines, is the workhorse of the facility and can carry up to 1,200 tons of fire extinguishers. Cal Fire also operates larger C-130 Hercules aircraft with four turboprop engines, which can dump up to 3,000 gallons per load.
Cal Fire has a fleet of helicopters, including Bell UH-1H Super Hueys and Sikorsky S70i Black Hawk helicopters. These helicopters can carry each of the water in buckets hanging below the plane to put out the flames.
John Mixson, retired US Coast Guard a search and rescue helicopter commander, told Fox News Digital that the buckets, known as bambi buckets, can effectively lower the water.
“They can reach any lake or pond, and they can lower the bucket into the water and point to deliver their load. So, it's more accurate than a fixed wing, but it's a little less pressure or water ,” Mixson said.
“Helicopters can take enough water to put out a fire, of course, depending on the size of the fire. They can also fill the ground to prevent the fire from spreading. Some only 70 liters, others more 2,000 gallons.”
Water drops from a Kenneth Fire helicopter in the West Hills section of Los Angeles Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (Ethan Swope/AP)
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Two Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper turboprop aircraft have also been deployed to fight the deadly infernos.
The Pentagon said Friday that two C-130 Hercules military aircraft equipped with a fire suppression system are now available, according to Military.com.
Six more C-130 planes are expected to be ready by Sunday. Some planes had to have their fire extinguishers replaced because they were used to transport cargo. The fires are out of the old firefighting season.
The scooper planes complete by descending into calm waters and drilling on the surface to fill their tanks. After that, they release water to extinguish the fire and repeat the process until they need to add fuel.
Super Scoopers have been pumping in salt water from the Pacific Ocean, although this is rare and often avoided because it can damage property, equipment and wildlife, says Frank Papalia, a former New York City Fire Department lieutenant and fire safety specialist Global Security. The group, told Fox News Digital.
Fresh water, whenever possible, is preferred because salt is corrosive and can damage equipment such as pipes and faucets.
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Airplanes are scooping up water from the ocean to contain the Palisades Fire in the mountains Jan. 9, 2025. (Sandy Hooper/Imagn)
“In this case, your city is burning down, so using salt water is not that bad,” he told Fox News Digital.
In addition, fire hydrants do not use salt water because they cannot destroy it, but fire engines can use salt water. They just have to be close enough to get it and they need to be properly cleaned afterwards.
The fire extinguisher is not thrown directly fires. Instead, the chemical is dropped in front of the fire, diverting its path or slowing its progress and giving ground crews a chance to control or extinguish it. . Retarders can also be released to protect homes or important areas and keep access roads open.
This item is usually made of a mixture of water, fertilizer, thickener and red dye. Red dye is added so firefighters can see the retardant against the surface.
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The pilots who fly these planes are known as firefighter pilots, or water bombers.
Mixon said the pilots come from a variety of backgrounds, but many have served in the military.
They often have to be trained on their aircraft types to handle their unique capabilities and systems. Most airline pilots already have years of flying experience before taking to the skies in a firefighting aircraft.
According to Hillsboro Aero Academy, an Oregon-based flight school, becoming a helicopter pilot involves accumulating between 1,500 and 4,000 hours of helicopter flight time as a pilot-in-command (PIC), pilot-in-charge for the safety and operation of the aircraft.
The flight hours provide interested pilots with essential knowledge of flight procedures, operational training and fire behavior, and candidates must prove that they can operate firefighting helicopters in difficult situations. like the mountains. They also need technical skills to work closely with ground crews and other aircraft during missions and knowledge of how fire spreads and how to control it using aircraft.
A tanker falls to the ground as the Palisades Fire grows in the hills of Topanga, Calif., Jan. 9, 2025. (David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images)
The hours are the same for prospective fixed-wing pilots.
“All personnel are highly trained for a specific mission,” Mixson said. “This is not a second job for Cal Fire or any of the DOD or Forest Service firefighters. Just like the US Coast Guard, they are very special at what they do.
“It's very dangerous, very challenging, but they're also highly trained, very specialized in a very specific job.”
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One of the most obvious risks is the low level above the hilly terrain in high wind conditions, which is what they're struggling with right now, Mixson said.
Mixson pointed out that, with the smoke, these workers also have to avoid other planes, space and everyday hazards like radio towers.
Strong winds in Santa Ana kept firefighting aircraft from being used earlier this week due to safety concerns.
Meanwhile, the drone hit one of the Canadian Super Scoopersagain. The impact left a fist-sized hole in the water, bringing down the plane's wing. No injuries were reported. Cal Fire said it expects the plane to be back in the air on Monday.
Reuters contributed to this report.