03-05-2025
Cal Fire, U.S. Forest Service take part in annual aerial training ahead of dry summer months
Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service crews took part in an annual training program to learn how to coordinate aerial attacks on wildfires as California braces for another fire season.
From lessons high in the sky to tactical training on the ground, what's learned in the classroom is now being put to the test.
"It's the toughest thing I've done in a long time," said Capt. Keeton Brookins, a Cal Fire Shasta-Trinity Unit air tactical group supervisor trainee.
The California Aerial Supervision Academy is an annual training, drawing Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service crews from across the state.
Their mission is to learn how to fight fires from above.
Brookins observed from the ground before it was his turn to get up in the chopper.
"We're operating in a fashion that most aircraft never operate in," Brookins said. "Very close quarters to each other, so that the coordination in that, and applying all of that to the ground."
The role demands extreme focus and the ability to work under pressure.
They're essentially air-traffic controllers in the sky, coordinating aircraft, relaying intel to ground crews, and making real-time decisions about where to drop water or retardant, often through heavy smoke and rugged terrain.
"It's the hardest job to do and it's because of the mental factor, not the physical side," Brookins said.
Cal Fire Chief Clint Blackmon said the training is critical ahead of the dry summer months.
"It's giving them the slides and tools for them to be successful," Blackmon said.
Eighteen students were a part of the training, many of whom will be working real fires this summer.
The program is so advanced that it's even drawing international interest, with firefighters from Germany and Australia observing.
"This class gives us the ability to, not only to for our students but for the pilots also to practice their skills and also get everyone ready for fire season," Blackmon said.
To be certified, students like Brookins must complete a detailed task book and log over 100 hours flying over active fires.
It's a training that demands perfection for the safety of every crew member, every single time.
