SACRAMENTO – Marking a significant advancement in California's wildfire preparedness, Governor Gavin Newsom on June 4 announced that the state’s fourth C-130 Hercules (C-130H) airtanker has entered active service. Alongside this deployment, the Governor celebrated the launch of California’s 11th Helitack base, which hosts the Sikorsky S70i Fire Hawk helicopter. Both resources will be stationed at the Ramona Airport in San Diego County, strategically integrating them into California’s world-leading aerial fleet.

In 2024, under Governor Newsom’s leadership, California made history as the first state in the nation to own, operate, and deploy its own fleet of C-130H Airtankers. Today’s deployment marks the successful conversion and operational readiness of the fourth aircraft out of a planned statewide fleet of seven. This newly deployed fourth C-130 Hercules delivers unmatched payload capabilities to the frontlines, capable of dropping up to 4,000 gallons of fire retardant to aggressively fight fast-moving blazes.

Governor Newsom spearheaded the initiative for California to take on ownership of these aircraft, speed up the time need to have them ready for firefighting operations in California, and expand CAL FIRE’s firefighting capabilities. In 2018, the state secured approval to acquire seven C-130’s from the Coast Guard. In late 2023, President Joe Biden signed legislation officially transferring the ownership of the seven C-130H aircraft to the state, where CAL FIRE would complete the work of retrofitting the aircraft for wildfire suppression operations.

（Photo Source: Governor's Press Office)