Utility and public protection officials Monday heralded the return to the San Diego enviornment of a huge firefighting plane in a position to dousing wildland blazes with as much as 2,650 gallons of water or fire suppressant at a time.
San Diego gas & electric's Erickson Skycrane "solar chook" helitanker, with a view to serve the county for a seventh straight year, helped extinguish two quick-moving brush fires just days after its arrival within the region final month.
SDG&E and the county recently renewed a contract that allows for the chopper to be attainable in the neighborhood through 2022.
"The Skycrane has been a important asset over the last several years, and we're glad to continue our collaboration with the county of San Diego to make this stunning aircraft obtainable for our vicinity as soon as again," noted Caroline Winn, SDG&E's chief energy birth officer.
The helitanker is a "gigantic and welcome addition to our regional firefighting arsenal each year," Cal hearth Chief Tony Mecham observed.
"As we've seen already this summer, the air crane's short response and decisive attack make a critical difference by way of stopping a wildfire earlier than it has a chance to unfold," Mecham said. "Having the helitanker within reach and attainable … provides a further measure of assurance for our neighborhood."
The Skycrane is stationed at SDG&E's aviation-services facility at Gillespie field in El Cajon and should stay via October — or longer, if hearth circumstances warrant.
"This year, we're waiting for another year of better fire recreation fueled by way of a extra abundant grass crop than we've considered in rather a long time," San Diego hearth Chief Brian Fennessy spoke of.
"particular areas of concern are the metropolis of San Diego's many open-area islands, such as Mission Valley, Tecolote, (Rancho) Penasquitos, San Clemente and Rose Canyons, however we are expecting to see very unstable wildland hearth circumstances throughout the county this autumn," he referred to.
at the request of local fireplace businesses, SDG&E also has introduced two additional weather stations to its latest community of greater than 170 — one in Mission Valley and yet another in southern Orange County — for superior readiness all through excessive hearth-climate activities in those communities.
"each year for pretty much a decade, we've been expanding our (fireplace- preparedness) toolkit, adding new technologies and bringing in new companions," Winn said. –city news service
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