Home » Santa Clarita News » California News » Newsom Adds 12 Firefighting Aircraft For California’s Statewide Fire Response
Connor Grose/KHTS News

Newsom Adds 12 Firefighting Aircraft For California’s Statewide Fire Response

On Thursday, it was announced that Governor Gavin Newsom’s office had helped secure 12 new firefighting aircraft for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) in response to growing wildfire concerns in places like the Santa Clarita Valley.

Due to rising fire concerns in places like Santa Clarita, Governor Newsom announced the securing of 12 additional firefighting aircraft to CAL FIRE as part of the state’s heightened investment in fire safety.

“Our investments in state-of-the-art firefighting technology and equipment, along with a focus on building resilience through fuel breaks, forest health projects and home hardening will ensure California is more prepared than ever to face an increasingly severe wildfire season,” Newsom said.

See Related: Two Santa Clarita Brush Fires Break Out On Sierra Highway In Newhall

The additional aircraft come as part of Governor Newsom’s California Comeback Plan, which reportedly invests over $2 billion to combat and prepare for wildfires and advance emergency response, according to state officials.

The governor’s Comeback Plan reportedly represents the largest investment in fire safety in the state’s history, including $5.1 billion over four years designated for immediate drought response and long-term water resilience, according to state officials.

During his discussion of the additional wildfire safety measures, the governor also attributed the increasing fire danger to climate change.

“Climate change is the driving force behind the extreme weather we see across the globe — creating hotter, drier conditions in Western States and contributing to unparalleled risk of catastrophic wildfire,” Newsom said.

The additional aircraft has made CAL FIRE’s aerial fleet come up to 60 rotary and fixed wing aircraft, which in addition to 9,200 personnel and 356 State Fire Engines makes CAL FIRE the second-largest fire department in the United States, according to state officials.

For more information on the additional fire safety measures, click here.


Sponsored Articles


Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or send an email to newstip@hometownstation.com. Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox. Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

KHTS AM 1220 & FM 98.1 - Santa Clarita Radio - Santa Clarita News

Newsom Adds 12 Firefighting Aircraft For California’s Statewide Fire Response

2 comments

  1. we will still vote on his recall in September

    PS …
    its not like he couldn’t get the aircraft, peoples lives are on the line when there is a wildfire…
    forest management would work wonders….

  2. He’s more concerned with Larry Elder than he is helping out with the wild fires.This dude is the ultimate scumbag and needs to be sent packing….

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Tim Smith

Tim was raised in Santa Clarita and attended COC before transferring to UC Berkeley in 2017. After getting his B.A. in political science, Tim joined KHTS as a News Intern in 2021.