Southern California helicopter ops

Images and captions by Josh Stotler

Josh Stotler sent us a collection of images he shot on recent incidents in southern California; San Diego County was dealing with a string of brushfires that kept aircraft and crews busy for a while. Of course there’s not a “season” with a defined start and end in southern California, but it looks like the helicopters and crews with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and San Diego County are off to a good start for the summer.

All photos copyright ©2023 Josh Stotler.

SDG&E Helitanker 729SDG&E Helitanker 729 banks to get a better view of the drop zone while coordinating with ground crews at the Wildcat Fire on the Barona Indian Reservation south of Ramona, California.

San Diego Sheriff's Helicopter 10San Diego Sheriff’s Helicopter 10 makes a low water drop at the Blackwood incident on the tribal land of the Campo Reservation in Pine Valley, California.

San Diego Sheriff's Copter 10San Diego Sheriff’s Copter 10 surveys the drop zone of the Wildcat Fire in unincorporated San Diego.

San Diego Helitack crewSan Diego Helitack crew, based out of Gillespie Field in El Cajon, packs up after fighting the Wildcat Fire on the Barona Reservation in eastern San Diego County.

San Diego Helitack firefighter Dakota Armstrong and Deputy/Pilot Tony WebberSan Diego Helitack firefighter Dakota Armstrong acts as spotter as Deputy/Pilot Tony Webber prepares to lift off from the LZ after the Wildcat Fire in eastern San Diego County.

SDG&E Helitanker 729SDG&E Helitanker 729 makes a drop on target as handcrews cut brush below, trying to halt flames of the Wildcat Fire in eastern San Diego County.

THANKS JOSH for the excellent images … and thanks to the pilots, crews, and other personnel for your quick slapdowns on these brushfires. Stay safe out there.

Josh Stotler
Josh Stotler is an East County native and freelance photojournalist with over 20 years of fire service experience.

Update on fire-related power shutoffs in California

UPDATED at 12:22 p.m. PDT October 10, 2019

Recently updated information about Pacific Gas and Electric’s preemptive power shutoff for much of Northern California includes additional locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and the north coast near Eureka (see map above). This brings the total number of PG&E addresses affected to 800,000, which could translate to approximately two to four million residents.

PG&E power shutoffs California
PG&E power shutoffs in Northern California, October 10, 2019.

Below is a zoomed-in map showing the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

PG&E power shutoffs California
PG&E power shutoffs in the Bay Area of California, October 10, 2019.

According to PG&E they have been turning off the power during periods of high wildfire danger since 2013, never before at this magnitude.


San Diego Gas and Electric was one of the pioneers in turning off the power to their customers when the wind blows and has been doing it  for years.

“Moderate Santa Ana winds are expected to sweep through our region starting Thursday and peak on Friday morning, bringing elevated wildfire danger to the backcountry and the potential for Public Safety Power Shutoffs,” SDG&E said in a press release.

About  34,000 SDG&E customers have been notified their electricity may be turned off (see map below).

SDG&E turn off power wind
SDG&E says the areas in yellow could experience public safety power outages during the wind event that will hit San Diego County Thursday and Friday. (SDG&E map updated October 9, 2019.)

And in the Los Angeles area:

The fire danger in Northern California is expected to decrease on Friday but remain elevated in the south part  of the state.

Predicted fire weather for October 10, 2019
Predicted fire weather for Thursday October 10, 2019.
Predicted fire weather for October 11, 2019
Predicted fire weather for October 11, 2019.

An additional firefighting helicopter to be available in San Diego County

Blackhawk helicopter
File photo of a Blackhawk helicopter that was working the Rankin Fire in Wind Cave National Park September 13, 2017. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

The helicopters that are fully certificated and available in San Diego County for firefighting has grown in the last 15 or 20 years from practically nothing to eight now that an additional helicopter will be added to the mix.

Last week the County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to split the cost of a Blackhawk helicopter with San Diego Gas and Electric. After the agreement is finalized, the helicopter will be positioned in the north part of the county during Red Flag Warning conditions.

Under the agreement SDG&E will cover the costs to operate the helicopter for the first two hours of any new flight, and the County will cover the second two flight hours. If used during a fire, the County could pay a maximum of $150,000 depending on flight time and reimbursements from the State of California or the federal government.

The County also shares a year-round lease with SDG&E for an Erickson Skycrane helicopter, which was put into action for several 2018 fires including the West Fire in Alpine, the Rangeland Fire in Ramona, the Pasqual Fire and the Recycle Fire in Campo.

The region currently has 10 aircraft available for initial attack:

  • A U.S. Forest Service firefighting helicopter during fire season
  • Three CAL FIRE fixed-wing aircraft, which consists of two retardant dropping airtankers and an air tactical supervisor plane,
  • Three County Sheriff/CAL FIRE helicopters
  • Two City of San Diego helicopters
  • The SDG&E-leased Erickson Skycrane helicopter.

For an extended attack the County can also call on 26 military helicopters if available.

Skycrane helicopter
The Skycrane helicopter leased by the County and SDG&E from Erickson. SDG&E photo.