California’s 2018 Woolsey Fire began in the afternoon of November 8, just outside Simi Valley near the borders of Ventura County, Los Angeles County, and the City of Los Angeles. Four Sikorsky S-70 Firehawks of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Air Operations (LACoFD) joined numerous other aircraft and ground crews battling the blaze, which eventually burned more than 97,000 acres and destroyed 1,643 homes over the next four days. More than 295,000 people evacuated at the peak of the fire.
Operating on the leeward side of the flames due to high winds, LACoFD helicopters and crews were often the only aircraft working the lines. The winds kept the smoke low across the terrain and homes, forcing crews to fly and refuel within the smoke because the only way to attack the fire was to become engulfed in it. Flying conditions quickly became almost night-like due to the reduced visibility.
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