The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) Air Operations operates 10 aircraft - 5 Sikorsky S-70 Firehawks (three S-70A and two S-70i) and 5 Bell 412s (three 412EPs and two 412HPs) - for paramedic transport, hoist rescues and wildland firefighting. Based at Barton Heliport at Whiteman Airport, each morning, a minimum of three regional air squads are operational including deployments to the North (Fire Station 129 Lancaster), East (Brackett Field) and, in fire season, to the West (Fire Camp 8 in Malibu). It received two S-70As in 2001, one in 2005 and two S-70i's in 2020, including N821LA.

Four of the 16 Sikorsky S-70i Firehawks (N492DF, N484DF, N451DF & N478DF) ordered by Cal Fire to replace 12 Bell UH-1H Super Huey helicopters. The first Cal Fire S-70i was delivered in Oct. 2019 and represents a major upgrade in wildfire firefighting capability. The S-70i's are built in Poland, completed by United Rotorcraft in Colorado, and fitted with a Kawak 1,000 US gal. belly tank. Cal Fire has 10 helicopter bases: Kneeland, Bieber, Vina, Howard Forest, Boggs Mountain, Moffett, Columbia, Hollister, Prado and Hemet Ryan. Two bases were still flying Bell UH-1Hs in early 2024.

Built in May 2021 with test registration SP-YVL, N476DF shown here is number 9 of 12 Firehawks initially ordered by CAL Fire (a follow-up order for 4 additional Firehawks has since been placed). The heli briefly carried fleet number 305 (for Prado Helitack base) but has since received # 608, as all CAL Fire Firehawks are getting a 6XX fleet number. The reason is that they will be moved around between the various Helitack bases throughout California for operational and maintenance reasons, and will not be assigned to a fixed base like the UH-1 Huey's they replace.

One of 16 Sikorsky S-70i Firehawks ordered by Cal Fire to replace 12 Bell UH-1H Super Huey firefighting helicopters. The S-70i's are built in Poland, completed by United Rotorcraft in Colorado and outfitted with a 1,000 US Gal. Kawak belly tank. Cal Fire has 10 helicopter bases with two still flying the UH-1H in early 2024. The helicopter bases are in Kneeland, Bieber, Vilna, Howard Forest, Boggs Mountain, Moffett, Columbia, Hollister, Prado and Hemet Ryan, with spares at McClellan. Cal Fire also has 14 air tanker bases (four shared with USFS, which has air five tanker bases of its own in CA)

The San Diego Fire Department currently operates two helicopters out of Montgomery airfield: this 2017 built Firehawk plus one Bell 412 (with a 2nd on order as of March 2024) can be dispatched for SAR and firesuppressing duties. A 1980 built Bell 212 was also operated till 2023, when technical issues grounded the helicopter. The SDFD's original intend was to aquire three Firehawks, but increase in cost lead to the decision to operate a mixed fleet.

This 2018 built S-70i was the 1st of 12 Firehawks ordered by CAL Fire. It initially carried fleet number 903 but has since been renumbered to 611. Seen here resting at the Prado Helitack base (adjacent to a prison facility) south of the city of Chino. The base is to become CAL Fire's main helicopter hub in Southern Californina. A follow-up order for 4 additional Firehawks is currently being exercised. The fleet of 16 Firehawks will allow to keep enough in service, while a few will either serve as back-up or undergo maintenance.

Produced for the Philippine Air Force.

CAL FIRE 301 S-70i with a practice approach to runway 32

Turkish Special Forces Special Air Regiment Özel Hava Alayı a.ka. "Bats"