The scale of the aerial assault on the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles was on full display Monday during a lull in the Santa Ana winds, in videos posted by the Los Angeles County Fire Department depicting planes and helicopters swooping over hillsides to protect homes and businesses under threat.
Among the newest aircraft in the arsenal: The S-70 Firehawk, sold by Stratford-based Sikorsky and a Colorado company that fits out the helicopters for firefighting duties.
While Sikorsky makes the Black Hawk today in Bridgeport and Stratford, Firehawk helicopters are manufactured at its PZL Mielec factory in Poland. A Colorado company called United Rotorcraft then adds onboard systems and equipment before final delivery to U.S. customers.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection chose the Firehawk several years ago as its go-to helicopter for firefighting and rescues. The Firehawk can tote 1,000 gallons in a belly tank tucked below the main fuselage, which it can refill in about a minute through a “snorkel” while hovering over a body of water.
In the past several days, Cal Fire and others have been posting footage of Firehawk helicopter crews making runs day and night to fight the LA fires that have been blamed for the deaths of at least 24 people at last report on Tuesday. The Los Angeles area was bracing Tuesday night for the resumption of heavy winds that have been hampering efforts to contain the fires.
“Our thoughts are with those impacted by the devastating fires and the operators, crews, and first responders who are performing missions to save lives, property and natural resources,” read a Sikorsky statement forwarded by a spokesperson in response to a CT Insider query on the Firehawk. “We are offering our help and making resources available to support public safety agencies participating in the California wildfire response effort.”
Sikorsky parent Lockheed Martin announced $1 million in donations to California relief groups, and an additional $1 million in support for its California employees who have been affected.
Cal Fire put in its first order in 2018 for a dozen Firehawks, and secured funding for four more in 2022 according to press releases by the department and Lockheed Martin. Cal Fire had previously depended on surplus military UH-1H Super Huey helicopters made by Bell that it had modified for firefighting, which it has kept in reserve since as it has taken delivery of Sikorsky Firehawks according to the department’s website.
Besides Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, other California entities with Firehawk helicopters include fire departments in Orange County, Santa Barbara County and Ventura County, according to agency websites.
The Firehawk has space for up to 11 firefighters and equipment in the main cabin, and can be configured alternatively with two stretchers for medical evacuation. An external hoist apparatus can lift both people and livestock free of danger. The helicopter can stay aloft for up to two-and-a half hours on a single tank of fuel, according to Cal Fire, depending on loads and conditions.
Those capabilities don’t come cheap — the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control paid $26 million for a second Firehawk last year, according to state documents and news reports.
To fight the Los Angeles fires, Cal Fire has brought in other aircraft crews to help battle the blazes, including Siller Helicopters in Northern California which use Skycrane and S-61 helicopters once made by Sikorsky in Stratford. Designed as an all-purpose helicopter for heavy cargos, the Skycrane’s tank can hold 2,000 gallons of water.
“At this point, the paperwork flow is such that I don’t yet have the information on how many runs we have taken,” said Hunt Norris, general manager of Siller Helicopters, in response to a CT Insider query. “Eventually I will. We currently have two CH-54A Sikorsky Skycranes on the LA fires.”
The California Air National Guard has deployed crews flying Sikorsky Pave Hawk rescue helicopters to provide firefighter support in Los Angeles, as well as C-130 Hercules airplanes made by Lockheed Martin that carry big cylinders in their cargo holds to spray water or flame retardants. Other helicopters from Bell and Boeing are also being used in the fight.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported only negligible progress in containing the huge Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire despite the efforts of more than 8,300 people battling the two blazes. Weather conditions were expected to worsen overnight with an uncertain impact on aerial operations in the coming days.
“Yesterday the name of the game was really just get ready for the Santa Ana wind event that we know is coming,” said Don Fregulia, an operations section chief for Cal Fire working the Eaton Fire zone. “We’ve got this fire pinned down right now — that’s not to say this fire doesn’t have potential to move out on us.”
___
(c) 2025 The Hour
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Get Faster News Update By Joining Our: WhatsApp Channel
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without written permission from CONVERSEER. Read our Terms Of Use.
