EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) – San Diego area fire departments, Cal Fire and SDG&E are bringing the Erickson Aircrane to San Diego County to fight fires.
The aircrane made 460 water drops in its eight years of service in San Diego County. That’s the equivalent of more than half a million gallons of water, said SDG&E.
The aircrane is leased by the utility company and will be available in San Diego County for three or four months, depending on need.
SDG&E has other firefighting technology, like the fire potential index. It can forecast fire danger seven to 10 days in advance. San Diego Fire Chief Brian Fennessy says the index is a resource he and other firefighters use every day. “We’ve got a planning tool that we didn’t have in 2007,” said Fennessy.
