New Chinook 47 Helitankers and Bravo 69 Ready to Respond to Malibu Area Wildfires
Last November, the world’s largest firefighting helicopter, the Chinook 47, with a capacity of 3,000 gallons, was tested at 69 Bravo Helistop, and are ready to respond to Malibu area wildfires. Now, Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura County Fire Departments have each secured the use of a Chinook 47 for this coming fire season beginning June 15. All three helicopters will be based within 14 minutes flight time of 69 Bravo. To accommodate the Chinook 47’s larger capacity, 69 Bravo’s four self-replenishing 6,000-gallon rubber/vinyl water containers, or “Pumpkins,” are being upgraded to new 8,000-gallon metal containers.
Watch a video of water-dropping helicopters filling up at Bravo 69
69 Bravo Helistop is located near the top of Saddle Peak Road with 360° views of the surrounding area. The refilling facility for water-dropping firefighting helicopters has 10,000 gallons of water onsite in self-replenishing tanks, as well as hookups to fire hydrants and water storage.
While battling wildfires, time is of the essence. Being located in the Santa Monica Mountains, 69 Bravo allows helicopters to drop water, turn around, re-fill, and quickly get back to the blaze, providing a crucial resource for the Los Angeles County Fire Department to be able to protect Malibu from its number one public safety threat.
For more information about Bravo 69, including live streaming webcams, videos and photos, visit http://www.69bravo.com.