Firefighters have utilized a new weapon in their battle against the Vista Fire, which is raging in the area near Lytle Creek, north of Fontana.
The United States Forest Service is now employing a wildland fire management tool known as the Quick Reaction Force, or QRF.
Operated by Coulson Aviation, the QRF is a trio of Chinook CH-47 helicopters that have been converted into state-of-the-art helitankers. They are strategically located in Southern California and available for rapid response to emerging and ongoing brush fires that occur throughout the region.
The force is supported by a fourth helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76, which is equipped with a suite of thermal and HD cameras as well as mapping software for accurate detection and reporting of a fire’s perimeter and hotspots.
Read more on this story at the Fontanta Herald News
