These firefighting aircraft will help California battle wildfires. 

By Mary O’KEEFE

Year-to-date, California has seen 5,294 wildfires, 317,636 acres burned and one fatality; 143 structures were destroyed. 

September is Emergency Preparedness Month and National Firefighter Appreciation Month and in Los Angeles County September is when the super scooper aircraft arrive from Canada to Van Nuys Airport. 

SuperScoopers are actually amphibious firefighting aircraft. They are designed to “scoop up” water from large bodies of water that will then be dropped on wildfires. 

The two CL-415 SuperScoopers arrived on Thursday from Quebec. They join the LA County Fire Dept.’s (LACoFD) Boeing Chinook CH-47 Helitanker 55, which is contracted through Southern California Edison. 

The LACoFD has contracted the SuperScoopers for four months; this is its 33rd year of working in partnership with the Quebec government. 

“The [SuperScoopers] are of great value. They can drop a lot of water [in] a short period of time,” said a LACoFD spokesman. 

The SuperScoopers are currently parked at Van Nuys Airport. 

“They are here and ready for [LACoFD] to use,” the spokesman said. 

One of the advantages of the SuperScoopers is their ability to fill with water quickly – within 12 seconds. 

“The helitankers hold up to 3,000 gallons; [comparatively] Fire Hawk [helicopters] hold up to 1,000 gallons,” the spokesman added. 

“With a full range of land and air resources available to us 24 hours a day and at a moment’s notice, I want to assure residents and communities that your firefighters are prepared and ready to respond,” LACoFD Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said in a previous interview. 

During Emergency Preparedness Month, the LACoFD reminds residents to harden their homes and prepare for wildfires. 

Ready! Set! Go! is a program started by fire departments to make it easier for residents to prepare for fire. 

• Ready! Create and maintain defensible space and harden your home against flying embers. 

• Set! Prepare your family and home ahead of time for the possibility of having to evacuate. 
• Go! Take the evacuation steps necessary to give your family and home the best chance of surviving a wildfire. 

More information on fire preparedness can be found at https://fire.lacounty.gov/rsg/.