As the recent Sandy Fire in Simi Valley reminded Ventura County residents, wildfires are no longer seasonal inconveniences — they are year-round threats capable of overwhelming communities in a matter of hours.
With increasing fire intensity, prolonged drought conditions, and expanding development along wildland urban interfaces, the question facing Ventura County is no longer whether we need more aerial firefighting capability — it is whether we are willing to invest wisely before the next disaster strikes.
On a recent visit to the Ventura County Aviation Unit for a tour I learned Ventura County has an opportunity sitting directly in front of it: build out the Blackhawk airframe the county already owns.
The financial argument alone is difficult to ignore. Building out the existing Blackhawk to covert it to a Firehawk would cost approximately $9 million, compared to roughly $45 million for purchasing a brand-new aircraft. That is a difference of $36 million.
Even more striking, completing the Firehawk buildout would reportedly cost about $6 million less than the new Bell 412EPX the county recently purchased. At a time when every public dollar is scrutinized, choosing the more capable and less expensive long-term solution should not be controversial.
But this conversation is not just about dollars. It is about readiness.
During the devastating Mountain Fire, Ventura County experienced a dangerous reality: both operational Firehawks had to be temporarily removed from service for extended maintenance, leaving only a single Firehawk available on the fire line. In the middle of a wind-driven wildfire event, that is a vulnerability the county simply cannot afford.
Wildfires in Southern California do not pause because aircraft are unavailable. They intensify rapidly, especially during Santa Ana wind conditions. Minutes matter. Aircraft availability matters. Redundancy matters.
The Mountain Fire demonstrated just how high the stakes are. The fire burned more than 20,000 acres and ultimately destroyed hundreds of structures across the county. Initial reports documented more than 130 destroyed structures, with later assessments placing total losses at more than 200 destroyed structures. The economic toll reached into the hundreds of millions of dollars when factoring in destroyed homes, infrastructure damage, emergency response costs, and recovery efforts.
Ventura County’s median home value has approached $1 million in recent years, meaning every home lost represents not only personal tragedy but also enormous economic loss to families and the community. Against those numbers, a $9 million investment in an additional county-owned Firehawk is not excessive. It is prudent.
Critics may point to the existing Coulson contract helicopter arrangement, which costs approximately $2 million annually. Contract aircraft certainly serve a purpose, particularly during peak fire season. But contract spending provides little long-term return on investment for Ventura County residents. If there is no fire season activity, the county still spends the money without building permanent capability or assets.
By contrast, investing those same funds into building Ventura County’s own Firehawk creates a multi-mission aircraft that could serve the county for the next 20 years or more. A county-owned Firehawk is not just a firefighting tool. It supports rescue operations, hoist missions, medical evacuations, search and rescue responses, disaster support, and interagency operations throughout the region.
Ownership creates capability. Contracts create dependency.
Ventura County has long been recognized as a leader in aerial firefighting. But leadership requires foresight. As fires become larger, faster, and more destructive, maintaining only the minimum number of operational aircraft is a gamble with public safety.
The county already owns the airframe. The infrastructure and expertise already exist. The need has already been proven. The cost savings are already clear.
Now the public must make its voice heard.
Residents of Ventura County should contact the County CEO and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors and champion support for completing this Firehawk airframe. Public safety decisions of this magnitude should reflect the priorities of the people who live in fire-prone communities and depend on rapid emergency response when disaster strikes.
The next major wildfire is not a matter of if — it is a matter of when. Ventura County has a rare opportunity to strengthen its aerial firefighting capability now, at a fraction of the cost of starting from scratch later.
The smartest investment is the one already sitting in the hangar.
Somis resident Roger Sikorsky is a retired Navy aviator and a Ventura County resident for 13 years.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura County must build the Firehawk we already own | Your Turn
Reporting by Roger Sikorsky, Your Turn / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Roger Sikorsky, Your Turn | USA TODAY Network
