Ramona’s busy air attack base is getting a top-to-bottom rebuild so big tankers can gas up and get back over the flames faster. Construction kicked off in August at the Ramona Air Attack Base to rip out the aging ramp and refill system and replace it with a setup built around four-engine C-130s. Cal Fire officials say the work should take eight to twelve months and is expected to shave precious minutes off each turnaround.
What's being rebuilt
Cal Fire’s environmental paperwork calls for demolishing and rebuilding the tarmac, installing new retardant mixing equipment and adding loading pits sized for both the workhorse S-2T tankers and the larger C-130, according to Cal Fire. The plans detail two 50-by-50-foot pits for S-2Ts, a 100-by-100-foot pit designed for C-130s, a 5,200-square-foot mixing pad and underground utility trenches to make drive-through refilling possible.
Faster turnarounds for airtankers
Cal Fire San Diego Capt. Robert Johnson told NBC 7 San Diego the project will add a retardant station able to hold about 75,000 gallons, roughly enough to refill a C-130 nearly 18 times, along with underground plumbing that feeds retardant straight into the aircraft. “The construction on this air attack base is just going to improve speed and efficiency and allow faster refuel times,” Johnson said. Cal Fire estimates refill times of two to three minutes for S-2Ts and about five to ten minutes for a C-130 once the system is fully up and running.
How operations will adapt during construction
While the Ramona mixing plant is offline, tankers are making the hop to Hemet-Ryan Air Attack Base in Riverside County for reloads, and Cal Fire has said it may also activate Brown Field Municipal Airport for extended incidents, KPBS reports. To offset the longer trips, the agency plans to double its initial-attack tanker dispatch from two aircraft to four and lean more heavily on helicopters to keep response times from slipping.
Why the C-130 matters
The C-130H is a Type 1 airtanker that can haul about 4,000 gallons of retardant, more than three times the roughly 1,200-gallon load of an S-2T, which means fewer flights to lay down the same fire line, AirMed & Rescue notes. Local coverage has reported that one of Cal Fire’s new C-130Hs is expected to be based at Ramona next year, making the upgrade a regional boost for very large drops.
Power and personnel upgrades
The same environmental documents outline a new 4,192-square-foot barracks building to temporarily house flight crews and support staff during incidents, along with storm-water and electrical upgrades to handle heavier operations, per Cal Fire. Separately, San Diego Gas & Electric says a newly completed Ramona microgrid will provide backup power to the base to keep mixing and refilling going during outages, according to the company’s release.
Local reaction and timeline
Ramona residents and retired firefighters have largely welcomed the new capabilities, but some told 10News they want Cal Fire to staff the facility year-round rather than rely on temporary setups during the height of fire season. Hoodline first flagged the project when Cal Fire announced the overhaul this summer.
Cal Fire says the work is still on schedule, according to NBC 7 San Diego, and, when finished, the new layout should let tankers taxi in, refill and roll straight back to the runway with less time wasted on the ground. Officials say those minutes could matter when hot, dry winds push fire danger across San Diego County into the red.
