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 long-established California state agency that operates the world's largest civil aerial firefighting fleet, dedicated to protecting the state's natural resources, properties, and residents from increasing wildfires.
The agency is undergoing significant modernization, upgrading its fleet with advanced aircraft like C-130H tankers (with enhanced retardant capacity) and purpose-built S70i CAL Firehawk helicopters (featuring night vision capabilities and higher payloads for firefighting and rescue).
Aerial firefighting requires highly skilled pilots who face dangerous conditions; CAL FIRE ensures safety and effectiveness through rigorous training programs that utilize state-of-the-art simulators for all its primary aircraft types.
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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