The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) continues to support projects that enhance the health of California’s landscapes and forests. Since 2017, CAL FIRE has awarded over $700 million in Forest Health grants, and now applications are open for the next round of funding. A total of $70 million is available to support projects focused on preventing wildfires, increasing reforestation efforts, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For more information on the applicatio

With the transfer of ownership of the seven C-130H’s complete, further retrofitting of the aircraft has begun. The C-130H’s will be used for rapid initial attack delivery of fire retardant on wildland fires. These airtankers will provide additional support to CAL FIRE’s existing air fleet. The comprehensive strategy implemented during the transfer process underscores California's unwavering commitment to the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of the newly acquired C-130H air tankers in a

Last week, CAL FIRE announced that the second of our seven C-130H airtanker conversions was ready for action–adding to the largest civil aerial firefighting fleet in the world. 💪 The fleet is positioned across California to reach the most remote areas of the state in 20 minutes or less. Our C-130H air tankers are a powerful firefighting tool, delivering 4,000 gallons of fire retardant per flight. The five CAL FIRE airbases that will be home to C-130H’s are: Ramona, Paso Robles, Fresno, McClella

Fighting wildfires from the air takes precise coordination and expertise. Orchestrating this aerial ballet of tankers, helicopters, and intel aircraft are the Air Tactical Group Supervisors (ATGS). Trainees for this vital role learn the ropes at California Aerial Supervision Academy (CASA), which recently concluded. The two-week intensive training, sponsored by CAL FIRE and held jointly with the U.S. Forest Service, included a week of classroom learning, flight simulator sessions, and orientatio