Cal Fire secures 24 additional firefighting aircraft

SACRAMENTO – Cal Fire is bolstering its firefighting aircraft fleet across California for the second year in a row as a result of over $72 million in funding provided by the administration of Governor Gavin Newsom. The investment has allowed Cal Fire to secure 24 additional firefighting aircraft (19 helicopters and five airplanes for a contractual period of 90-120 days) to enhance their statewide response efforts against wildfires in California.

The additional fixed-wing aircraft include three large air tankers specifically designed to carry up to 4,000 gallons of retardant. These aircraft hav...