County Fire announced that a CH-47D Chinook Helitanker, a helicopter specially equipped to fight fires at night, will be stationed at the Cal Fire/County Fire Air Attack Base in Paso Robles this fire season. Submitted photo
If the nightmare of wildfire returns to San Luis Obispo County this summer, the local firefighters will have a special tool to fight the blaze from the air.
SLO County Fire Department Public Information Officer, Capt. Ryan Grebe, announced that a CH-47D Chinook Helitanker recently flew into the Paso Robles Airport and will be under an exclusive contract for the 2026 fire season.
Named, “Helitanker 7PJ,” it’s the same one that was here last fire season, Capt. Grebe said in a news release.
“The helicopter’s unique nighttime firefighting capabilities,” he said, “allow it to operate during hours when many other aircraft are unavailable, providing critical aerial support during periods of increased fire activity.” The chopper will work the night shift.
Helitanker 7PJ will be staffed and available from 3 p.m. until 3 a.m. each day, “allowing crews to take advantage of both afternoon fire suppression operations and nighttime firefighting missions.
“Its speed, capacity,” Capt. Grebe said, “and night-flying capabilities provide firefighters with another powerful resource to help protect lives, property, and natural resources.”
Battalion Chief Cody Dunn, who heads up the Paso Robles Air Attack Base, welcomed the big bird. “7PJ is a welcome addition to the aerial response we have in the San Luis Obispo Unit and will also be utilized statewide as large incidents emerge,” said Chief Dunn.
The CH-47D Chinook can cruise at speeds of up to 120 knots (138 mph) and carry up to 2,300 gallons of water per drop.
The combination of speed and payload “enables the aircraft to respond rapidly to emerging incidents and deliver substantial water drops to support firefighters on the ground,” Capt. Grebe said.
Readers may see the aircraft responding to wild fires throughout SLO County and it will respond to other areas in the state when needed for larger fires.
Still a relatively new concept, firefighting aircraft that can fly at night are becoming more and more important.
“Night-flying aircraft,” Capt. Grebe said, “have become an increasingly important component of California’s wildfire suppression strategy, allowing firefighting operations to continue after sunset, when cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and reduced fire behavior can create favorable conditions for containment.”
The announcement comes a couple of weeks after Cal Fire/County Fire announced a burn ban due to what they said could be a bad fire season. Early rains last fall followed by extended periods of dry, clear weather made grasses and vegetation grow early. The dry late winter and spring have meant a quick drying out of that vegetation and an increase in potential fire fuel.
SLO County hasn’t had a major wildfire in several years but has repeatedly been struck by numerous catastrophic blazes in the past.
And with a huge amount of the county sitting as open range, grasslands and oak forests, the potential for a huge blaze is ever present.
The Chinook Helicopter has many uses. As a heavy lift helicopter, it has seen extensive duty as a military troop transport and evacuation chopper since at least the Vietnam War.
It has been used for many heavy lifting operations in various industries as well as a fire suppression aircraft on wildfires. Locally, readers may occasionally see Chinooks flying over the North Coast out of Camp Roberts or Camp San Luis Obispo.
