California proposes to purchase more Firehawks and expand real time wildfire mapping capability

They also want to add 54 surge engines, 4 more Firehawks, 10 contract helicopters, and 10 additional dozers

FIRIS aircraft
FIRIS aircraft, Orange County, California. Jan. 27, 2020.

The proposal for California’s next budget during the 2022-2023 fiscal year beginning in July includes funding to expand the capabilities of a real time fire mapping system. A pilot program for the Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) first got off the ground September 1, 2019 thanks to funding secured in the 2019-2020 California state budget by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach).

At that time the state of California partnered with the Orange County Fire Authority in securing $4.5 million in state funds for technology that increases the real-time information and situational awareness available to the firefighters and other first responders and managers on all-hazards events, including wildfires. It has the capability of making real time aerial video available to personnel on the ground so that they can make better evacuation, strategic, and tactical decisions and increase the safety of personnel.

FIRIS can also transmit near real time fire perimeter and heat maps to a supercomputer at the University of California San Diego that runs WIFIRE spread projections based on the data collected by the aircraft. The output estimates where the fire will be in the next six hours and can adjust for successful fire suppression actions by firefighters on the ground and in the air. This intel allows for more timely and accurate decision making for resource allocation and evacuations.

The 150-day pilot program in 2019 started with $4.5 million. Now that it has proved its worth, the Governor’s proposed budget for next fiscal year would allocate $36 million to expand the capacity of FIRIS, making it more available to first responders across the state.

More helicopters, dozers, and engines

The FY 2022-2023 draft budget includes funds to augment the state’s aviation program until the seven HC-130H Coast Guard aircraft will be fully converted to air tankers, expected in 2023. As best as we could determine, no retardant delivery systems have been installed in any of the aircraft. Some of them most likely still have a need for depot level maintenance.

The budget would appropriate $45 million annually for three years to secure exclusive use contracts for ten additional privately owned exclusive use helicopters that could carry 1,000 to 2,000 gallons of water or retardant.

The proposed budget includes $99 million in 2022-2023 and $11.7 million ongoing to purchase four additional helicopters. California is already two-thirds of the way toward replacing CAL FIRE’s 12 Vietnam War-era Huey helicopters with new Sikorsky S70i Firehawks. Eight of the new ships are already in the state, but some may not have been officially accepted yet by the contracting officers. Four more are still being built by Sikorsky or outfitted for firefighting by a company in Colorado. If the new purchase is approved by the legislature it would increase the number of recently purchased Firehawks to 16 when they are all delivered.

Forest Health

The draft budget allocates $243 million in 2022-2023 and $245 million in 2023-2024 for a comprehensive package to increase the pace and scale of forest health activities and reduce wildfire risk.

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16 thoughts on “California proposes to purchase more Firehawks and expand real time wildfire mapping capability”

  1. State more than likely doesn’t know the true cost of the ‘Hawk til the MX and training bills start rolling in. Replacement engines and parts will concern the best of bean counters. If its DynCorp for contract maintenance, it shouldn’t be that hard for those “Administrative Services” folks to take a little stroll around a hangar for once in their lives….

  2. The state has no clue what the true cost of operating a fleet of Firehawks. Their hourly operational cost is about $5,000 an hour… realistically. Since this is a maintenance intensive aircraft (unlike the Huey). They need to almost triple the number of mechanics, double the pilots (for night ops), train all personnel in a complex machine. By the way, it’s a dual pilot aircraft, but they’re flying single pilot which means even more training to be safe. I heard one of the southern bases is due for a newly constructed facility as well at about $38,000,000 or so.
    Side note: heard San Diego City purchase only one of the same aircraft for only 18.5 million. The state paid $24,000,000 and purchased/purchasing 16. Doesn’t make too much sense.
    Another side note: The Hawk will never carry the amount of water as advertised in the media. At absolute best maybe 900 gallons depending on environmental conditions and pilot expierence. Realistically 600- 800.

    1. More is better in the sense that the quicker you can get water on a fire that is just starting, the higher percentage of containing it before you lose operational control of the fire. Once you turns into a defensive fire, the fire is in control and you’re just hoping the winds die down.

      1. There you go, Edward! Expanding command , control, and Comms, to the responding unit is. Key. A satellite terminal in each Responding Vehicles, could bring a data presence, into the field.
        Access to GIS In Responder units helps them to “see” the roads and residences in a Local area.

        by Surveying and rating these routes as an ongoing effort . do this, and, “ When the Balloon goes up” . There is a rich Database available to Route forces !

        This can help On Scene Commanders gain a lot of tactical capability!

        Being on the Offense beats heck out of being on the “Wrong” side of the power curve!

      1. Well, you gotta think about how much effort and money this would take. We’re talking four more brand new airframes at $24 million flyaway each, plus the personnel to staff these copters and then the support like fuel tenders and even potential helitack bases. It’s a huge amount for the state to take on, versus contracting it out.

        After replacing the Super Hueys with Firehawks and literally having to rebuild certain bases to accommodate the new airframe (Vina, Boggs Mtn and Alma are three that immediately come to mind but I bet there are others) the cost of this program is getting into the realm of literally hundreds of millions of dollars immediately, plus the personnel cost.

        1. They already have the helitack bases as well as the fuel tenders. The personell? Train the pilots to operate the Hawks.

          1. I think you’re confused. This is talking about four *additional* Firehawks, beyond what they’ve already ordered to replace the Super Hueys. So you would need four additional fuel tenders, plus the crews for four additional Firehawks and I’m not just talking pilots, I’m talking a helitack crew for each one. BTW two pilots are required for the Firehawks instead of one for the Super Hueys. Plus you’d need a place to store these four additional Firehawks, the helitack bases are designed for one aircraft each.

  3. Four additional firehawks is an interesting idea, would there be new helitack bases or would they sit at McClellan and be sent out as needed?

    1. Lake Tahoe area. There are Cal Fire Stations on the north and south of the portion of the Lake. This area (Tahoe) has a long response time from the two closest Cal Fire Helitack Bases, Columbia and Vina. Can’t count on the Federal contract copters being available. A base at Tahoe would also provide initial attack to the Sierra Front, which extends into Nevada, a mutual protection boundry agreement with the State of California.

    2. Yes, where would they be based ? What about would new facilities be needed, additional fuel trucks, personnel. Also where would the additional 10 type 1 CWN copters be located ?
      The additional 50+ engines, going from one engine stations to two engine stations? 10 additional dozers, yes, because Kalifornia doesn’t have the use of loggers dozers as they used to have when logging was happening.

      One last item………HOW ABOUT NEWSOME OR HIS AUNT GETTING THE AIR FORCE OFF THEIR KESTERS AND APPROVE PUTTING THE TANKS IN THOSE SEVEN C-130’s !

      1. The RADS II tanking systems have already been approved by the FEDs. Coulson has the system building contract but the FEDs, Coulson and the Air Force are not talking about ETA’s.

  4. Good for CA. Meanwhile, the USFS is collapsing in on itself from being so top heavy and disorganized. It’s a really sad situation.

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