As if 2020 had not dealt the United States enough grief so far this year, a disastrous late summer wildfire season on the West Coast in California, Oregon, and Washington has scorched millions of acres and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. Heroic ground crews are working numerous fires right now, saving structures and lives. Their work is being supported from the air by a large fleet of state-owned and contractor fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, providing critical Air Attack retardant and water drops with pinpoint accuracy.
Air Attack Support Proving Critical to Fighting West Coast Fires
Key Takeaways:
- The 2020 late summer wildfire season caused widespread devastation across California, Oregon, and Washington, burning millions of acres and destroying thousands of homes.
- Aerial firefighting assets, including a diverse fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, were crucial in supporting ground crews with retardant and water drops.
- CAL FIRE in California operates the world's largest department-owned aerial firefighting fleet, which has significantly evolved since the 1950s to include modern, larger aircraft.
- Oregon and Washington also experienced record deployments of aerial resources, though Oregon faced severe air quality issues that grounded much of its air attack fleet at times.
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