SoCal Prepares for ‘Bad Fire Season’ With World’s Largest Helitankers

Orange County Fire Authority and partners Ventura and Los Angeles County fire departments gather for the release of a new Cu-47 Helitanker twin rotor helicopter capable of releasing 3,000 gallons of fire retardant upon wildfires. Los Alamitos, Calif., on June 14, 2021. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Three Southern California counties are joining forces to operate the world’s largest water-dropping helitankers prior to the start of a “bad fire season.”

The cooperative, dubbed “Quick Reaction Force,” was initiated June 15 after Southern California Edison (SCE) donated $18 million to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), the Ventura County Fire Department, Coulson Aviation, and Perimeter Solutions.