To combat San Diego's notorious wildfire crisis, a state-of-the-art water tank has been installed at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, thanks to a joint effort involving the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, local fire crews, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. This new heli-hydrant—with funding through California Assemblymember Brian Maienschein—will provide much-needed rapid response resources for dousing regional infernos.
"I am proud to continue to upgrade our resources to keep our communities safe. This heli-hydrant is an important asset that will help our first responders extinguish fires quickly," Maienschein, having seen the destruction of wildfires firsthand, remarked in a statement obtained by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. His reference to the Cedar Fire reflects a tragedy that scorched portions of East County and Scripps Ranch two decades prior.
Located strategically within the Safari Park, the 375-gallon tank will not only provide vital water reserves for fire emergencies, especially in the scarcely supplied areas west of Lake Sutherland but also promises to enhance the efficiency of firefighting interventions in Escondido and surrounding vicinities. This additional resource is tucked between Lake Wohlford and Lake Poway, complementing the existing water supply arsenal available to emergency services.
Boasting durability, the heli-hydrant has a hardwired control cabinet and is safeguarded with solar-powered backup batteries to ensure it's functional even during power outages. It's fitted with an automatic fill valve that allows helicopters to top it off remotely during the approach, detailed Lisa Peterson, executive director for the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, who expressed immense pride at hosting the tank. "Conservation is a collective journey that starts with people, grows through community action, and culminates into meaningful change," she told the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The innovation also helps to evade potential clogging issues during firefighting operations, ensuring helicopters remain operative when it counts the most.
