LA County Receives 'Super Scoopers' Ahead Of Potentially Tough Fire Season
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles County firefighters are ready for what some say could be a particularly harsh fire season, and they've got the hardware to back it up.
KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports the recent arrival of the two Canadian CL-415 "Super Scoopers" and the Erickson Air-Crane "Helitanker" firefighting aircraft is set to compliment the existing fleet of air resources of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
LA County Receives 'Super Scoopers' Ahead Of Potentially Tough Fire Season
While CL-415 Super Scooper aircraft require bodies of water to dip into, LA County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said officials have already conducted surveys of areas to ensure the planes have adequate reloading capabilities.
The Super Scoopers can scoop over nearly 1,600 gallons of water in about 12 seconds while traveling at high speed over water surfaces.
"There's some reservoirs that are extremely low or are dry, and we've identified where those reservoirs are," Osby said. "We've also identified where we can pick up water."
County Fire personnel can also set up 5,000-gallon portable water tanks known as "pumpkins" near landing spots in the event of a wildland fire in remote areas to ensure an adequate water supply for the Erickson Helitanker as well, according to Osby.
The cost of purchasing two CL-415s normally tops about $70 million plus maintenance costs. But a lease deal through January 2015 will allow firefighters to use the aircraft for about $5.3 million, roughly the cost of 10 average homes in LA County.
Officials say the worst of the fire season is still likely yet to come for 2014, with Cal Fire and other agencies warning it could be one of the worst fire seasons to date in California due to a three-year drought.
