LA Fire Department to receive two more Sikorsky Firehawks
A County of Los Angeles Fire Department Sikorsky S‑70i Firehawk. (Photocredit: Slkorsky).
Los Angeles Fire Department is to take delivery of two new Sikorsky S70-i Firehawk helicopters. The aircraft will be deployed on missions to fight wildfires, rescue flights and emergency medical services (EMS).
Anthony Marrone, fire chief, County of Los Angeles said the aircraft has been the “cornerstone” of the departments aerial firefighting capability for more than two decades. “Adding two more proven platforms enhances our ability to respond to all types of emergency situations across the county and contain wildfires before they get out of control, even under the most challenging conditions,” said Marrone.
The Firehawk is equipped with a 1,000-gallon water tank with a retractable snorkel that refills in less than one minute and twin turbine engines providing speeds up to 155 knots. The aircraft is also supplied with night vision compatible flight controls to enable pilots and crews to combat wildfires after dark, when fire activity often slows.
Rich Benton, vice president and general manager, Sikorsky said: “These new helicopters reinforce a partnership that began in the late 1990s and continues to set the standard for aerial wildfire and emergency response around the globe.”
Seven agencies in California use the Firehawk including the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), County of Los Angeles Fire Department, Kern County Fire Department, Orange County Fire Authority, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, and the Ventura County Fire Department.
The Sikorsky S‑70i Firehawk is part of parent company Lockheed Martin‘s broader focus on accelerating the development and integration of digital technology to support faster decision-making capabilities for wildfire management, according to the OEM. Branded as 21st Century Firefighting, its strategy includes combining missions by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, including the C-130 Hercules, with firefighting intelligence. This uses AI-enabled technology to provide near real-time intelligence to first responders.
Pictured above is a County of Los Angeles Fire Department Sikorsky S‑70i Firehawk. The aircraft was photographed flying training exercises in Newhall, southern California in July 2025.
Meanwhile, California wildfires – fuelled by the powerful Santa Ana winds – have claimed more than 30 lives this year, according to LA County records. An additional 440 deaths were attributed to the fires in a recent report from medical journal JAMA. This is in addition to billions of dollars of property and environmental damage.
