The SuperScoopers which are contracted from Quebec, Canada each fall have returned to Van Nuys to assist in fighting brush fires throughout Los Angeles County, including the Santa Clarita Valley.
Each year for the last two decades, the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) leases the two fixed-wing firefighting airplanes from the Government of Quebec.
These aerial assets come at a time when fire crews are anticipating an active fire season as Santa Ana winds are expected to return come October, according to officials.
“In Northern California it has been challenging for firefighters with the extreme fire conditions, and we are next,” said LACoFD Chief Daryl Osby.
The County rents these aircraft during the fall season due to dryer conditions and when the Santa Ana winds are blowing, according to officials.
The contracted aircraft are rented instead of purchased due to the cost, according to officials.
“Even prior to me being elected, Supervisor Antonovich actually did commission a study both looking at the County but also looking at other counties… So it was determined that the leasing was a better option for L.A. County and also for the state,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents L.A. County’s Fifth District which includes Santa Clarita.
Back in 2019, the LACoFD also determined it was better for them to purchase two new helicopters which would be able to be used year-round for more than just brush fires.
“The fact of the matter is, from our perspective, it’s more effective to lease them as we’re doing now,” Osby said. “We have the 10 helicopters that we can use year-round. The SuperScoopers we cannot use year-round.”
The SuperScoopers which are referred to as Quebec-1 and Quebec-2, are stationed at the Van Nuys Airport and are on a 90-day contract.
However, when the lease is about to expire Osby can ask to extend the contract if he feels it is needed, according to officials.
These two contracted aircraft are used alongside the County’s 10 helicopters the fire department already uses year round for fighting Santa Clarita brush fires among other missions.
The SuperScoopers are automatically dispatched anytime a brush fire is reported throughout the county.
An advantage that the Quebecs have is the ability to hold more water at one time than the Los Angeles County Fire helicopters.
Each SuperScooper is capable of holding approximately 1,600 gallons of water, compared to the five Sikorsky S-70a Blackhawks which hold approximately 1,000 gallons of water and the five Bell 412 helicopters which hold approximately 360 gallons of water.
Due to the SuperScoopers working in tandem with each other, they are able to drop around 3,200 gallons of water at once on a fire, which is the equivalent to approximately three water drops from the Sikorsky Blackhawk helicopter.
Edison has also made available a Chinook helicopter referred to as helitanker 55 which is capable of holding 3,000 gallons of water at one time.
“Our Department has an impressive ability to drop water on wildfires,” Osby said, which is crucial to extinguishing fires and preventing them from growing.
The contracted aircraft utilize different bodies of water throughout the County to fill their tanks.
When flames are burning in Santa Clarita the SuperScoopers utilize Castaic Lake, or Pyramid Lake for brush fires burning closer to Gorman.
With Santa Ana winds around the corner, Osby is urging all L.A. County residents including those in Santa Clarita to be prepared when a fire is to break out.
One way to help firefighters is to make sure there is “good brush clearance” around homes to allow firefighters to have access to the fire, according to Osby.
Another way that Osby is asking for assistance is for the public to avoid flying drones over fires.
“Every year throughout the State of California we have to down aircrafts because we have drones,” Osby said. “Drones are very dangerous to our aircraft.”
If caught, drone pilots can face jail time or a fine.
For more information on how to be prepared for the next brush fire, click here.
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