CAL FIRE adds aircraft

For the second year in a row, CAL FIRE is boosting its seasonal fleet across California — with more than $72 million provided by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. The funding secures an additional 24 firefighting aircraft (19 helicopters and 5 planes) for a contracted period of 90-120 days. The Fullerton Observer reported that these aircraft are located in communities across the state and will be pre-positioned as needed.

“The deployment of more aircraft dedicated to the people of California marks a historic milestone, with the highest number of firefighting aircraft ever available for initial attack in the state for the second consecutive year,” said Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. He said rainfall this year has resulted in increased fuels; last week alone, CAL FIRE responded to over 300 wildfires.

Cal Fire Hawk

NEW HELICOPTERS:  Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit Chief Brian Estes said that CAL FIRE’s new Fire Hawk is faster, with greater capacity, than the state’s aging 12 Super Huey helicopters, and the Hawks can also conduct night flight operations. According to a report by YubaNet.com in FY2022-2023 additional funding was approved to purchase four more S70i Fire Hawks to increase surge capacity and to maintain operational capabilities during mandatory maintenance cycles. The Fire Hawk can deliver up to 1000 gallons — or a 9-person helitack crew.

California’s aircraft are initially prepositioned in the following counties: Butte, Tuolumne, San Diego, Tulare, Humboldt, Mariposa, Nevada, Siskiyou, Sacramento, Fresno, Shasta, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Placer, Lassen, Riverside, and Sonoma.

C-130H tankersThe fixed-wing aircraft in the California fleet include three large airtankers that can carry up to 4,000 gallons. FireAviation reported last year that the U.S. Air Force was directed by Congress in December 2013 to perform maintenance on seven C-130H aircraft and convert them to airtankers. At that time the USAF was given $130 million for the project. Five years later in 2018 Congress appropriated an additional $20 million, bringing the total cost to $150 million. No recent estimates of totals were readily available.

The statewide fleet has grown to more than 60 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, according to the Chico Enterprise-Record, making CAL FIRE’s the largest civil aerial firefighting fleet in the world, including Grumman S-2T airtankers, Bell UH-1H Super Huey helicopters, Sikorsky S70i helicopters, and North American OV-10A (plus one D Model) Bronco Air Tactical aircraft. The aircraft are located at 14 airtanker bases, 10 helitack bases, and one CAL FIRE/San Diego County Sheriff helitack base.

On this holiday weekend, CAL FIRE reminds the public that the law strictly prohibits the use of drones in areas with fire activity. Drone operation can shut down aerial firefighting, endangers pilots and crew and firefighters, and poses major risks to lives, property and natural resources.

 ~ THANKS and a tip of the hat to Johnny.

Another C-130 arrives at McClellan with new CAL FIRE livery

CAL FIRE Air Tanker 120 C-130
CAL FIRE Air Tanker 120, formerly Coast Guard 1709, arriving at McClellan, August 12, 2022. By Mike McKeig.

Another of the seven C-130 aircraft that the Coast Guard will eventually transfer to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection flew into Sacramento McClellan Airport today. In the Coast Guard it was known as #1709 but will become Air Tanker 120 when the conversion is complete and it is operated by CAL FIRE.

Like some of the other Coast Guard C-130s that have come to McClellan after having work done it appears to have 98 percent new livery, the exception being the rudder. It will eventually receive the other half of the zero to complete the T-120 designation. The delay may have something to do with balancing the rudder after the conversion is largely complete.

We were told there are no obvious external indications of retardant drop doors or a tank having been installed.

Below is what it looked like five years before the transfer and tanker conversion effort for the seven C-130s began in 2013.

A Coast Guard C-130H, No. 1709
A Coast Guard No. 1709, October, 2008. This is one of the seven HC-130Hs being transferred to the CAL FIRE. Photo by Bob Garrard.

More photos of T-120 arriving at McClellan today:

CAL FIRE Air Tanker 120 C-130
CAL FIRE Air Tanker 120, formerly Coast Guard 1709, arriving at McClellan, August 12, 2022. By Mike McKeig.
CAL FIRE Air Tanker 120 C-130
CAL FIRE Air Tanker 120, formerly Coast Guard 1709, arriving at McClellan, August 12, 2022. By Mike McKeig.

Thanks Mike!

CAL FIRE dealing with long shifts and mental health issues

Redding, CA sunset CAL FIRE engines.
Sunset in Redding, California, August 10, 2014. A strike team of CAL FIRE engines assigned to the Eiler Fire is in the foreground. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

The federal land management agencies are not the only agencies facing problems with retention, recruitment, and mental health issues. The staffing system for the  California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, CAL FIRE, calls for their firefighters to work 72 hours a week. But in recent years vacant positions have sometimes led to personnel being forced to work overtime, sometimes for many days at a time, 24 hours a day.

CAL FIRE 2881 President Tim Edwards represents nearly 5,400 CAL FIRE firefighters. He told CBS13 shifts that used to be 72 hours a week have become 30, 40, or 50 days without a break. Crews, he said, are unable to be relieved because of the short staffing.

A bill has been drafted that would appropriate $220 million to increase staffing and reduce forced overtime. If passed by California’s legislature the Fixing The Firefighter Shortage Act, SB 1062, would fund more than 1,100 additional  state firefighters, 18 more engine crews, and a year-long study to figure out staffing needs in the future.

A CAL FIRE spokesperson told CBS13 three weeks ago that stations would be fully staffed in a week. The spokesperson added the agency does not endorse the Fixing The Firefighter Shortage Act, and that it is only supported by CAL FIRE Local 2881.

In 2009 a series of articles about wildland fire won a Pulitzer Prize for authors Bettina Boxall and Julie Cart of the Los Angeles Times. Ms. Cart who now works for CAL MATTERS wrote a piece last week for the publication about how PTSD is affecting CAL FIRE’s workforce. The video below posted June 15 appears to be a product of their reporting.

Ms. Cart points out that about 10 percent of CAL FIRE’s workforce quit last year.

Below is an excerpt from the article.

California’s firefighting agency has been slow to react to a mounting mental health crisis within its ranks as firefighters around the state say CAL FIRE has failed to get them what they need — including a sustainable workload, easier access to workers’ comp benefits and more counselors.

While climate change is driving enduring drought and ferocious fires ravaging California, nature can’t be blamed for all of CAL FIRE’s problems: The state’s fire service, which prides itself in quickly putting out wildfires, has failed to extinguish a smoldering mental health problem among its ranks.

Many firefighters told CalMatters they are fatigued and overwhelmed, describing an epidemic of post-traumatic stress in their fire stations. Veterans say they are contemplating leaving the service, which would deplete the agency of their decades of experience. Some opened up about their suicidal thoughts, while others — an unknown number since CAL FIRE doesn’t track it — already have taken their own lives.

CAL FIRE Director gives update on C-130 air tankers

Air Tanker 118 training Ramona, California fire airtanker
Tanker 118, during training flights at Ramona, CA February, 2022. Photo by Ryan Grothe.

In an interview this week with CBS Bay Area, Joe Tyler, the new Director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said the seven C-130s that are being transferred from the US Coast Guard to CAL FIRE will go to Georgia this year to have the 4,000-gallon retardant tanks installed.

CAL FIRE Director Joe Tyler
CAL FIRE Director Joe Tyler making the keynote address at the Aerial Firefighting conference in San Diego, March 22, 2022. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

During Mr. Tyler’s first interview after becoming Director March 4, he told Fire Aviation two weeks later that it looked like the incorporation of the C-130s into their fleet might be pushed back to 2024 due the pandemic/endemic and supply chain issues. This was in spite of the agency’s efforts in attempting to facilitate movement of the project. In the CBS interview this week he generally confirmed the 2024 timeline, but also maintained hope that one or more would be in service before 2024.

Below is the CBS Bay Area interview with Mr. Tyler.

The U.S. Air Force was directed by Congress in December 2013 to perform  maintenance on the seven aircraft and convert them to air tankers. At that time they were given $130 million for the project. In 2018 Congress appropriated an additional $20 million, bringing the total cost to $150 million. It has now been 3,066 days since the process started.

C-130 air tanker brought to Ramona for crew training

Air Tanker 118 training Ramona, California fire airtanker
Tanker 118, during training flights at Ramona, CA February, 2022. Photo by Ryan Grothe.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection brought air tanker 118, a C-130, to the airport at Ramona, California last week. Ryan Grothe who shot these photos said, “They conducted training flights in the area, including some touch and goes on the runway and pattern work.”

The seven Coast Guard C-130s will not be officially transferred to CAL FIRE until all of the maintenance and conversion to air tankers is complete, or close to it. That is expected to happen in 2023. No retardant delivery systems have been installed in any of the aircraft. Some of them may still need depot level maintenance.

Air Tanker 118 training Ramona, California fire airtanker
Tanker 118, during training flights at Ramona, CA February, 2022. Photo by Ryan Grothe.

Mr. Grothe said one of the C-130s is expected to be based at Ramona.

The relatively short runway restricts which types of aircraft can use the facilities at Ramona. When the U.S. Navy built the airport in 1945 as an emergency landing field it was only 4,000 feet long and remained that length well after it was conveyed to the County of San Diego in 1956.

CAL FIRE established an Air Attack Base there in 1957 and the U.S. Forest Service followed three years later.

Air Tanker 118 training Ramona, California fire airtanker
Tanker 118, during training flights at Ramona, CA February, 2022. Photo by Ryan Grothe.

In 2002 the runway was lengthened to 5,001 feet but it is difficult for most large air tankers and impossible for very large air tankers to work at the base.

In August of 2019 one of Coulson’s C-130s under contract to CAL FIRE was spotted at Ramona.

Air Tanker 118 training Ramona, California fire airtanker
Tanker 118, during training flights at Ramona, CA February, 2022. Photo by Ryan Grothe.
Air Tanker 118 training Ramona, California fire airtanker
Tanker 118, parked during training flights at Ramona, CA February, 2022. Photo by Ryan Grothe. Two S-2Ts were also there, Tankers 71 and 88.