San Clemente will soon have a HeloPod with water ready to help combat wildfires

When a fire is raging, it’s a race against time.

Whipping winds can quickly spread the flames, and with the dry brush blanketing hills across South Orange County, minutes matter.

San Clemente this summer will be better equipped to fight wildfires with a new HeloPod to be installed by July, a fire suppression system that will give firefighters quick access to water when wildfires are threatening the region.

Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site near Rancho San Clemente Ridgeline Trail on Monday, May 18. The HeloPod is the latest of several popping up in cities across the county, with Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo and San Juan Capistrano among the south Orange County vulnerable towns already equipped with the water supply systems.

Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg Barta said the threat of wildfires in Southern California spans beyond just what was once known as “fire season.”

“We’re under constant threat of wildfires year-round here,” he said.

The best way to keep the fires small and contained, he said, is to use the HeloPod to do quick, multiple drops.

“More drops on fires with fire helicopters greatly increases our ability to keep fires small and reduces the risk to the community,” Barta said.

Helicopters can quickly refill their water supply using the solar-powered HeloPod, which has 3,775 gallons of water readily available. Helicopters hover over the HeloPod, then suck in water through a snorkel-like device. When water is syphoned, the storage pod automatically refills at about 400 gallons per minute.

“They can do that over and over again,” Barta said.

The hope is to have the HeloPod up and running by early July. In the coming weeks, the land will be graded, gravel will be put down and plumbing will be connected to supply the water.

The latest addition was paid for with $100,000 in discretionary funds from Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley, who also serves as director of the Orange County Fire Authority.

“We are now, along the ridge, much safer,” she said.

Foley said she saw how effective the system was in neighboring cities. In San Clemente, firefighters have typically had to get water from neighboring towns or from a golf course lake to quell fires.

“This is going to be a lot better for those San Clemente residents,” Foley said.

A fire raging last year in Laguna Beach was minutes from destroying homes, but flames were quickly extinguished by helicopters using the HeloPod, she said.

“Those homes were going to burn in two minutes,” Foley said. “If it weren’t for the quick response of the helicopters and the HeloPod, they would have been gone.”

“We know that fire season is all-year long,” she added. “We need to have all the resources available, especially water, easy access and quick response to be able to extinguish fires before they spread. We’ve learned a lot of lessons over the years about how important easy access is, so we want to make sure we have it.”

The county in 2024 invested in two new Firehawk helicopters that can hold 1,000 gallons of water. OCFA also operates two Bell 412EP helicopters that can carry about 375 gallons per drop.

“It is a newer technology,” Barta said of the HeloPod, “and we’re fortunate to be on the forefront of that technology.”

The HeloPods can be used not just for OCFA helicopters, but also by partner agencies responding to fires such as Cal Fire.

The goal is to always keep fires 95% contained, at 10 acres or less, Barta said.

“That’s an ambitious goal, but we’ve been able to do that, from land and air,” he said. “Having our helicopters make water drops really improves our goal of keeping fires small, before it can impact communities, structures and homes. This will be a huge benefit to us on that forefront.”