The San Diego congressional delegation tonight announced the deployment of Navy and Marine helicopters to fight the San Diego County wildfires.
Reps. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon, Brian Bilbray, R-Carlsbad, and Darrell Issa, R-Chula Vista, announced tonight an agreement with the head of the California Department of Forestry, also known as Cal-Fire, that will allow airships to take to the skies without the presence of a fire spotter.
Cal-Fire had balked at allowing the military to send helicopters and planes up to fight the fires with retardant and water, Hunter said.
The congressmen had been led to believe that arrangements were being made to send airships up once the winds died down but no such contract was in place, said San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts.
Following the press briefing, Roberts said the Department of Forestry has dragged its feet since the 2003 Cedar and Paradise fires.
"There has been resistance for the last four years," Roberts said. "A cultural resistance between Cal-Fire and the county."
Now that the Cal-Fire head has agreed to waive the spotter requirement, "we're going to get them up tomorrow," Hunter said.
"The key is to get them full of retardant."
There will be four military helicopters dropping water on the fires tomorrow and four planes dropping fire retardant, Roberts said.
A call has been put out for every available fire bucket in the country to hold the water, said Hunter, and a batch of retardant is being prepared.
