Latest news with #MattDias
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2nd massive air tanker joins California firefighting fleet
California has officially added a second massive air tanker to its firefighting fleet, marking a significant expansion in the state's wildfire suppression efforts just ahead of what is expected to be a drier-than-average summer. The latest C-130 Hercules air tanker will join the CAL FIRE aerial fleet, the second former U.S. Coast Guard cargo plane to be retrofitted for firefighting purposes. 'Adding a second C-130 aircraft to California's aerial firefighting force today is a truly remarkable advancement in our state's wildfire suppression capabilities,' said Matt Dias, President and CEO of the California Forestry Association. 'The addition of this critical aircraft to the state's wildfire suppression arsenal will save lives and property, and improve air quality.' The aircraft can drop 4,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under five seconds and fly up to 800 miles per deployment, officials said, and its speed, range and payload capacity make it the most capable aircraft in CAL FIRE's entire fleet. The state received its first of seven retrofitted C-130s in August 2024. That aircraft has gone on 90 missions since then, and has dropped more than 253,000 gallons of retardant, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. The state completed the purchase of the aircraft in December 2023 after passage of the National Defense Authorization Act. When all seven Hercules aircraft are retrofitted and ready for service, they'll be strategically placed at CAL FIRE bases across the state to ensure they're never too far from where they're needed, providing not only wildfire suppression support, but assisting in search and rescue efforts and various emergency operations. California has the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world, and the acquisition of these massive air tankers is the latest in the state's efforts to prevent future disasters. This latest tool has become all the more important following recent Los Angeles County wildfires. 'One of the most devastating and deadly wildfires in our state just a few months ago only underscores the urgency of this moment and the urgency of continuing to make additional progress,' Newsom said. To view more detailed information about the C-130 Hercules, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
08-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Major U.S. partnership aims to use fuel-break network to protect California forests from fires
SACRAMENTO — If you've ever flown over California's forests, you may have noticed long, cleared strips of land cutting through the trees. These are fuel breaks, which are strategically cleared areas to help slow the spread of wildfires. Now, a new partnership between private and federal landowners aims to connect these fuel breaks into one unified defense system. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service are joining forces with Sierra Pacific Industries, a major lumber company, in a $75 million partnership to build and maintain fuel breaks throughout California and Oregon. Right now, fuel breaks are scattered and disconnected. This agreement will connect them across private land owned by Sierra Pacific and public land creating a unified front to help protect communities and forests historically known to be at high risk for wildfires. "When suppression efforts are launched, we have a better chance to combat these wildfires which we all know are a tremendous problem in California," said Matt Dias of the California Forestry Association. It will take 23 projects over the next three years to add about 400 miles of new fuel breaks to the existing 2,200-mile network. "When you have firefighting in addition to a fuel break, they stop fires 68% of the time," said Mark Emmerson, CEO of Sierra Pacific. Emmerson knows the benefits of these fuel breaks first-hand, noting the communities of Butte Meadows and Forest Ranch were protected in last year's Park Fire due to the Highway 32 fuel break. "These fuel breaks save properties, infrastructure, resources and lives," he said. This partnership is driven and united by one goal: to build a stronger defense against wildfires. "That's the vision, is having the industry the forest private sector as a whole stand up and stand tall to help the forest service get this done for the protection of resources in California.," Dias said.
