Airports
SMO Controllers Join Skirball Fire Battle
The efforts come as the airport is set to close for a 10-period while the city shortens the SMO runway.

Just days before the city of Santa Monica is set to temporarily close Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) to shorten its runway, air traffic controllers at the facility joined the response teams fighting the Skirball Fire, the Santa Monica Airport Association (SMAA) said. Controllers handled water-dropping helicopters, Los Angeles Police Department helicopters and newsgathering aircraft in the airspace as the fight to contain the fires raging through the area continues.