Charles Barkley helps spread the word about a need for firefighting helicopters at Lake Tahoe

Charles Barkley, Tahoe helicopters
Charles Barkley and Tahoe Douglas Fire Chief Scott Lindgren are helping to spread the word about a campaign to acquire two firefighting helicopters for the Lake Tahoe area. Still image from South Lake Tahoe Now video.

NBA legend Charles Barkley is helping the Tahoe Douglas Fire Department spread the word about a campaign to acquire two firefighting helicopters for the Lake Tahoe area in Northern California, which according to the Fire Chief is devoid of permanent helicopter coverage.

From the description and amount of funds being sought, it appears their hope is to purchase two Sikorsky S-70i Firehawk helicopters capable of carrying up to 1,000 gallons of water and also capable of responding to medical incidents with a paramedic and full advanced life support equipment.

The article below by Paula Peterson was first published on SouthTahoeNow.com.

STATELINE, Nev. – Charles Barkley remembers the American Century Championship in July 2007 very well. He and the other celebrities had arrived at Lake Tahoe to golf in the annual tournament at Edgewood Tahoe, but that year it was different.

The devastating Angora Fire started off of North Upper Truckee Road on June 24, and before it was done on July 2 it had burned through 3,100 acres, destroyed 242 residences and 67 commercial structures, damaged 35 other homes, and engaged 2,180 firefighters.

Barkley said they couldn’t “yuck” it up at celebrity golf across the lake and have fun while nearby residents were dealing with such a catastrophe. He asked NBC if he could take a camera crew into the fire-damaged area.

“I came up here 15 years ago and saw catastrophic damage. It broke my heart. I’d actually never seen fire damage before,” said Barkley.

He donated $190,000 to recovery efforts for residents over the following two years and treated firefighters and their spouses to dinner at Harrahs Tahoe.

At Edgewood Tahoe Saturday, during the 33rd annual American Century Championship, Tahoe Douglas Fire Chief Scott Lindgren held a press conference with Barkley to highlight his agency’s Operation Save Lake Tahoe.

Lindgren has said there is a giant hole in the middle of the Sierra without firefighting helicopter coverage, and that is the Lake Tahoe Basin and surrounding mountains. He wants to change that with a $60 million plan that would bring two helicopters, a station, and training to not only Douglas County, but to the whole Lake Tahoe Basin and surrounding Sierra.

Fundraising efforts have been underway for months, but much more needs to be raised.

“So anything you can do to help, please help these guys get their helicopter, please, because, hey, we can’t let nothing happen to this place,” said Barkley.

“We can’t let it happen again,” Barkley said of the Angora Fire.

For more information or to donate, visit https://tahoefire.org/helicopter.

Photos of San Diego’s Firehawk, Copter 3

San Diego Fire Rescue Copter 3 (N283SD)
San Diego Fire Rescue Copter 3 (N283SD) working a small fire near Scripps Ranch, April 7, 2022. Ryan Grothe.

Ryan Grothe sent us these photos he took of San Diego Fire Rescue Copter 3 working a small fire in the Scripps Ranch area April 7, 2022.

San Diego Fire Rescue Copter 3 (N283SD)
San Diego Fire Rescue Copter 3 (N283SD) working a small fire near Scripps Ranch, April 7, 2022. Ryan Grothe.
San Diego Fire Rescue Copter 3 (N283SD)
San Diego Fire Rescue Copter 3 (N283SD) working a small fire near Scripps Ranch, April 7, 2022. Ryan Grothe.

Below, I grabbed a photo of the helicopter at HAI in Anaheim, CA, January, 2020.

HAI HELI-EXPO 2020 Anaheim helicopter Firehawk
San Diego Fire Rescue’s new Firehawk at HAI 2020, January, 2020. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

Hoist training with Helicopter 301

CAL FIRE helicopter 301
CAL FIRE helicopter 301 during hoist training at Hemet, CA. Photo by Ryan Grothe May 11, 2022.

Ryan Grothe captured these shots May 11 of helicopter 301 during hoist training at the Hemet-Ryan Air Tanker Base in Southern California. The helicopter is the new Sikorsky S-70i FireHawk, one of 12 purchased by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

CAL FIRE helicopter 301
CAL FIRE helicopter 301 during hoist training at Hemet, CA. Photo by Ryan Grothe May 11, 2022.

Aerial firefighting program on PBS

Shahn Sederberg, Behind the Wings

A program that aired on the Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting System looked at fire aviation in the Western US. It featured the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Los Angeles County, Interra (which manages fire data and intelligence), and United Rotorcraft which converts Blackhawks helicopters into water-dropping Firehawks. Most of the 27 minutes is spent talking about helicopters, and they mention that the state of Colorado is going to purchase a Firehawk.

This episode of Wings Over the Rockies  is dedicated to Marc “Thor” Olson, the pilot with CO Fire Aviation who was killed November 17 while on a night-flying mission over the Kruger Rock Fire near Estes Park, Colorado. We see him explaining the use of night vision goggles and fighting fire from the air at night.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Tom.

Aircraft on the Dixie Fire in Butte County, California

5:35 a.m. PDT July 14, 2021

Aircraft Dixie Fire
Aircraft on the one-acre Dixie Fire in Butte County, California July 13, 2021. Photo by CAL FIRE.

These photos were taken by CAL FIRE on the one-acre Dixie Fire in Butte County, California July 13, 2021. This fire is not to be confused with the Dixie Fire in Idaho that has burned over 19,000 acres. (UPDATE at 7:47 a.m. PDT July 14, 2021: on Tuesday the fire’s spread had been stopped for a while at one acre. That evening it took off and grew to about 60 acres and was very active again later in the day.)

Aircraft Dixie Fire
An S2T drops on the one-acre Dixie Fire in Butte County, California July 13, 2021. Photo by CAL FIRE.
Aircraft Dixie Fire
Firehawk refills with water on the one-acre Dixie Fire in Butte County, California July 13, 2021. Photo by CAL FIRE.