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Urban fires can mean long trips for helicopters to get water. One firefighter had a better idea
- Retired firefighter Mark Whaling invented the Heli-Hydrant, a small open tank that allows helicopters to rapidly refill water during urban fires like the 2020 Blue Ridge Fire in Yorba Linda.
- Whaling's frustration began when firefighters could not access a sealed million-gallon water tank during an early 2000s fire, which allowed the fire to destroy homes and sparked the Heli-Hydrant idea.
- The Heli-Hydrant fills with 8,500 gallons in about six minutes, can be remotely activated from half a mile away, and 10 have been built with 16 more planned across Southern California.
- During the November 2024 Garden Fire in Fallbrook, helicopters used the Heli-Hydrant nearly 40 times, helping protect homes amid evacuation orders, and officials consider it a vital tool for firefighting in fire-prone urban areas.
- While Heli-Hydrants reduce flight time for water refills, concerns remain about their urban placement due to obstacles, limited space, and the need for multiple dip sites to improve firefighting readiness amid increasing wildfires.
59 Articles
59 Articles
Pasadena Star News
Daily BulletinUrban fires can mean long trips for helicopters to get water. One LA firefighter had a better idea
By DORANY PINEDA and BRITTANY PETERSON, Associated Press CABAZON — Mark Whaling and a crew raced up and down a hill in a tanker truck as they battled a wildfire in Los Angeles County, scrambling to get water from a street hydrant in time to stay ahead of flames moving up a ridge. A helicopter flew in to drop water, but it had to fly a long distance to refill — and a fire that might have been stopped went on to destroy homes. As they fought that…
Urban fires can mean long trips for helicopters to get water. One California firefighter had a better idea
By DORANY PINEDA and BRITTANY PETERSON, Associated Press CABAZON — Mark Whaling and a crew raced up and down a hill in a tanker truck as they battled a wildfire in Los Angeles County, scrambling to get water from a street hydrant in time to stay ahead of flames moving up a ridge. A helicopter flew in to drop water, but it had to fly a long distance to refill — and a fire that might have been stopped went on to destroy homes. As they fought that…
Associated Press News
Urban fires can mean long trips for helicopters to get water. One firefighter had a better idea
Retired firefighter Mark Whaling knows firsthand what it’s like to wait on a helicopter to refill on water while he's battling a blaze on the ground.
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