June 4, 2021
A helicopter carries water in the direction of an advancing wildfire Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. Evacuation orders remained in effect Tuesday for the town of Lakeport, the county seat, along with some smaller communities and a section of the Mendocino National Forest. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Cal Fire is basing a newly retrofitted firefighting helicopter at the Napa County Airport. The former U.S. Army Boeing Chinook can hold up to 28-hundred-gallons of water. Its tank can be refilled in just over a minute and potentially attack a wildfire about every three-minutes if a water source is nearby. Cal Fire says it decided to base the helicopter in Napa for quick local response in the wake of last year’s devastating Glass and Hennessey fires. The chopper known as One Charlie Hotel is privately-owned but is considered a statewide resource.