El Toro air station gets second wind as helicopter base during wildfires
A Siller Helicopters’ Sikorsky CH-54A Skycrane lands after water drops on the Silverado-Blue Ridge Fires at former MCAS El Toro Oct. 27, 2020.
(Damon J. Duran)
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Helicopter crews are once again flying into former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. Rather than training for war, aircraft take on fuel and water to defend Orange County residents from another threat wildfires.
Since at least 2017, the Orange County Fire Authority has used a stretch of runway as an emergency aviation base to refill as many as 15 helicopters with fuel and water closer to fire lines in South County.
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Costa Mesa’s Orange County fairgrounds stayed busy throughout the pandemic offering COVID-19 tests, vaccinations and hosting a number of drive-through events but for the first time in a long while, the site is getting back to what it does best.
The 164-foot La Grande Wheel XL is being assembled, carnival game booths are coming into form and farm animals are being groomed for the auction block in preparation for the 2021 O.C. Fair, which runs July 16 through Aug. 15.
This year’s theme “Time for Fun” couldn’t be more fitting, after organizers pulled the plug on last year’s festival at the beginning of a pandemic only now is showing signs of receding.
Los Lobos will return with Native Sons on July 30th via New West Records. The 13-song set was produced by Los Lobos in East Los Angeles and finds the band mapping their musical DNA as a kaleidoscopic selection of tribute songs from their homeland, ultimately creating a crucial snapshot of L.A.’s musical heritage.
Los Lobos Return With Native Sons 7/30 gratefulweb.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gratefulweb.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The weekend events at Costa Mesa's O.C. fairgrounds closed in March 2020, creating a hardship for vendors and employees alike. Now, one laid off worker has a plan to bring them back.