Navy Helicopters Team with CALFIRE to Fight Wildfires

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS120816-15
8/16/2012

From Commander Navy Region Southwest Public Affairs

NAVAL BASE CORONADO, Calif. (NNS) -- Navy helicopters teamed with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection units Aug. 15 to conduct aerial firefighting against several wildfires in eastern San Diego County.

At CALFIRE's request for Immediate Response (IR) support, the Navy is providing three firefighting helicopters equipped with buckets for aerial water drops to support firefighting efforts in San Diego County.

Helicopter Sea Combat squadrons THREE (HSC-3) and TWO-ONE (HSC-21) are providing aircrews flying specially-equipped MH-60S helicopters to assist CALFIRE in conducting aerial water drops.

Navy HSC squadrons regularly train for this mission and are prepared to conduct fire-fighting missions at the Navy's Southern California offshore training ranges, and they conduct semi-annual joint training with CALFIRE to ensure interoperability and an immediate response capability in support of local authorities for emergency events.