California has completed the expansion of its aerial firefighting fleet with the addition of its final two Firehawk helicopters, bringing the total to 16. Cal Fire and Governor Gavin Newsom announced the milestone Thursday at McClellan Airport in Sacramento.
So far this year, nearly 5,000 wildfires have scorched a quarter-million acres and killed at least 31 people across California.
At a hangar at the airport, Cal Fire maintenance aviation officer Steven Torres walked around the newest addition to the fleet, highlighting what sets the Firehawks apart from the aging Vietnam-era Huey helicopters they’re replacing…