California completes world’s largest civilian helicopter firefighting fleet

California has completed the modernization of its aerial firefighting fleet, with the final two Sikorsky S-70i Fire Hawk helicopters arriving in Sacramento. This brings CAL FIRE’s Fire Hawk fleet to 16 helicopters stationed across the state, making it the largest civilian helicopter firefighting fleet in the world.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced that this marks the end of a multi-year transition that upgrades CAL FIRE’s aerial capabilities. All ten CAL FIRE Helitack bases have now converted from older Huey UH-1H helicopters to new Fire Hawks, an initiative started at the beginning of Newsom’s first term.

The modernization began in 2020 and is part of a broader statewide effort to invest in community safety and wildfire protection. The move comes as federal support for firefighting has been reduced under recent Trump administration policies. According to Governor Newsom, “With the Trump Administration pulling back on federal firefighting, California continues to step up to protect our communities.”

Earlier this month, Governor Newsom sent a model executive order to the White House encouraging federal efforts to match California’s approach in managing forestlands. Federal agencies manage 57% of California’s forests compared to just 3% managed by the state itself.

The U.S. Forest Service has experienced significant staff reductions due to budget cuts under the Trump administration. The agency has lost 10% of all positions and 25% outside direct wildfire response roles, which may affect wildfire response this year. A proposed reorganization would also close regional offices such as the Pacific Regional Forest Service office.

CAL FIRE Chief and Director Joe Tyler said, “The completion of our S-70i Fire Hawk fleet and the transition of all Helitack bases is thanks to the dedication of the entire CAL FIRE aviation program. This is about equipping our firefighters with the most advanced tools available to respond to the increasing complexities of wildland fires.”

The new Fire Hawk helicopters provide increased water-dropping capacity—up to three times more than previous models—and are equipped for night operations using night vision goggles. These features proved critical during recent fires near Los Angeles when crews were able to prevent fire spread toward residential areas and major freeways through nighttime missions.

In addition, these helicopters can carry more crew members and have permanently affixed hoists for rescue operations, enhancing flexibility and safety for both personnel and communities.

As part of ongoing investments in wildfire resilience since 2019, California has expanded its CAL FIRE workforce by nearly double compared with previous years—adding an average of 1,800 full-time and 600 seasonal positions annually—and plans further hiring over coming years. Recent months have seen millions allocated for prevention projects statewide as part of over $5 billion invested by Governor Newsom's administration alongside legislative partners since 2019.

Fifty-four new vegetation management projects covering almost 12,000 acres have been approved under streamlined processes following a March 2025 emergency proclamation from Governor Newsom.

This series of actions builds on years-long efforts by California officials aiming at increased wildfire readiness amid changing climate conditions.