Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Helicopters Help Fight Fires In LA County, But Water Availability Is An Issue
A firefighting helicopter performs a water drop as firefighters work below during the Martindale Fire in the Angeles National Forest on Sept. 28, 2020 near Santa Clarita.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
)
Southern California’s steep terrain can make it especially tough for firefighters on the ground to reach remote spots with hoses and hand tools, which is why L.A. County Fire relies heavily on helicopters, including the five Black Hawks currently in operation.
“If we didn’t have the aircrafts, we wouldn’t be able to catch the fires we do,” said assistant chief Pat Sprengel, former head of air operations for the department. “It buys us time to get crews and hose lines up into place to actually put the fire out. They’ll knock down the head of the fire and stop it before it gets to larger structures.”
The Black Hawks take about 45 seconds to suck up roughly 1,000 gallons of water before being able to fly off and dump it on some burning brush. But there’s a fairly sizable problem when it comes to using helicopters in remote areas: water availability.
Support for LAist comes from
While they can use their snorkels to pull water from reservoirs, lakes and swimming pools, fires often break out in locations without any easily available local water source to draw from. It's a common scenario in parched places like Santa Clarita, and that adds to the amount of time in between dumps.
A firefighting helicopter sucks up water from a temporary bladder on the Castaways Fire on October 1, 2005 in Burbank.
(
David McNew
/
Getty Images
)
To solve this issue, L.A. County Fire has been deploying refillable water tanks to remote areas when a fire breaks out. And today they announced the purchase of another 7,000-gallon tank that’ll be stationed in Rancho Palos Verdes.
The container will fill with water which can be drawn on by helicopters. Ventura County Fire uses the HeloPod from the company Pump Pod USA, similar to L.A. County Fire.
(
Pump Pod USA
)
They’re essentially 40-yard dumpsters with extendable hoses that can draw water from sources like fire hydrants. A helicopter can then come along and suck directly from the mini reservoirs.
At least eight are now available for use by the departments and have been used on large fires, including the Woolsey and Tick fires.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist