As wild fires continued to rage across Southern California, the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) got some good news: its bid to acquire up to 12 new Sikorsky S-70i Firehawks has been approved by state administrators. The deal is worth an estimated $240 million, but had been on hold since August pending an appeal from Leonardo Helicopters.
Cal Fire is seeking the new helicopters to replace its aging fleet of Bell UH-1Hs. The Firehawk features a belly tank that can hold 1,000 gallons of water and 30 gallons of foam and can be quickly refueled by a pump snorkel system at a rate of 1,000 gallons per minute. The aircraft is based on the civil version of the UH-60 Black Hawk.
“No other helicopter can deliver more water per minute than the Firehawk, and when every minute counts, it’s no surprise that this aircraft has quickly become the most effective initial attack helicopter,” said Mike Slattery, the president of United Rotorcraft, an Air Methods division that performs Firehawk conversions. Firehawks are currently in service with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and other U.S. agencies.