CAL FIRE is a state agency responsible for protecting natural resources from fire on land designated by the State Board of Forestry as state responsibility area (SRA). [iStock]
Key Takeaways:
CAL FIRE is a state agency dedicated to protecting California's natural resources and properties from escalating wildfires, operating the world's largest civil aerial firefighting fleet.
The agency is undergoing significant modernization, acquiring new Lockheed C-130H tankers and factory-new Sikorsky S70i CAL Firehawk helicopters, vastly increasing retardant capacity and introducing advanced features like night operation capabilities.
CAL FIRE invests heavily in pilot training and safety, utilizing state-of-the-art flight simulators for all primary aircraft types to prepare highly skilled pilots for the hazardous and demanding conditions of aerial firefighting.
Forest fires have become an ever-increasing part of the news cycle.
Whether ignited by man or nature, they often rage out of control, sometimes overwhelming or outpacing the resources necessary to get them under control. Forest fires are part of the natural cycle of forest management, but when fires threaten life and property on a grand scale, human intervention is needed.
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