CAL FIRE night aerial training to include Lake Clementine near Auburn

CAL FIRE will conduct regional Night Aerial Firefighting Exercises today to provide regional night operations helicopter crews standardized training and essential recurrency qualifications. The training will be held Monday, June 15, with helicopter coordination and flight preparation beginning in the afternoon, followed by active night flight operations until midnight across two primary regional hubs: McClellan: Night flights and water-dropping exercises will be conducted at Lake Clementine near Auburn. Porterville: Night flights and water-dropping exercises will be conducted at Lake Kaweah near Three Rivers. Communities near Lake Clementine and Lake Kaweah may observe and hear low-flying helicopters, particularly during the evening and night hours up until midnight. This evolution features CAL FIRE Helitack personnel from the Alma, Boggs, Hollister and Columbia Helitack bases, alongside specialized contract fleet partners. Standardizing night operations across regional bases ensures local crews can seamlessly integrate during a major night fire assignment. By training side by side under the supervision of dedicated Night Helicopter Coordinators, CAL FIRE maintains its dedication to safety and aggressive fire suppression to help keep communities and resources safe. To learn more about the CAL FIRE Aviation Program, visit fire.ca.gov.