Nocturnal Firefighting Helitankers a Game Changer
By David Song
While fighting fires is a 24-hour operation, conditions are dangerous and less productive without aerial support. The Quick Reaction Force helitanker partnership among Southern California Edison and local firefighting agencies changes that.
The task force consists of two Boeing CH-47 Chinook helitankers that can each carry up to 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant, a Sikorski S-61 helitanker with a 1,000 gallon capacity and an S-76 intelligence and reconnaissance helicopter.
The CH-47s are the biggest, fastest, smartest and most effective water and retardant-dropping helitankers in the world. These helitankers can operate day or night and can fill their tanks with a retractable snorkel while hovering, allowing for a faster return to the fire line.
“The QRF is the first in the world to conduct night ‘hover-fill’ operations,” said Troy Whitman, an SCE fire manager. “In the past, aircraft would have to land for a ground refill because hover fills require someone to supervise from the air. Our S-76 intelligence aircraft has the capability to provide safe coordination at night.”
Support and coordination do not end there. The goal is to be a self-contained operation with all resources at the ready. The ground support for the firefighting fleet can resemble that of a small airport.
“It’s like a small city with eight to 10 semitrailers, tankers to fuel the airships and three or four motorhomes,” said Whitman. “The support staff can include mechanics, logistics crew, porters, and relief pilots, among many other personnel. The trailers might carry spare aircraft parts, fire retardant preparation equipment and the dip tanks where the retardant is poured for the helicopter snorkels.”
Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy went even further in describing the ability of nighttime firefighting.
“Aerial fire suppression at night is important,” said Fennessy. “That’s typically when temperatures are lower, the winds are a little bit less and the relative humidity starts to come up. If we can get after it at night and wet it down enough and put enough fire retardant on the ground so firefighters can get around the fire, we’re going to make those firefighters available for the next fires in the following weeks. To be able to drop water and retardant day and night with helicopters is a game changer.”
SCE is contributing $18 million again this year to lease the firefighting equipment in a partnership with the OCFA, Los Angeles County Fire Department and Ventura County Fire Department .
“With the Quick Reaction Force, they’ve been helping to protect not just our customers and communities, but our infrastructure as well,” said Steve Powell, SCE president and CEO.
If last year is any indicator, the QRF will be an indispensable tool for fire agencies during this year’s peak fire season. The 2021 statistics were prolific:
- 1,836 drops on more than 50 separate fire incidents.
- 2.6 million (equal to 4½ Olympic-sized pools), with 28% dropped at night.
- 123,455 gallons of fire retardant, with 19% dropped at night.
“The efficiency and speed of the fleet is impressive,” said Whitman. “In the past, aircraft would fly to a fixed location miles away from the incident. They land, refill for five minutes and then go back to the incident. With the QRF and the army of mobile support, there is no extensive transit, and the hover fill can get done in about 90 seconds.”
Now wildland firefighters can rest just a little easier knowing there is an aerial night shift with the capabilities to protect and build on their hard-fought gains.
For more information on SCE’s wildfire safety efforts, visit edison.com/wildfire-safety.
