It looks like an above-ground pool with an amazing view of Fallbrook.
Then a helicopter thunders overhead, hovers only a few feet above the pool and dips a large tube into the water. The large round metal tub is actually San Diego County’s first rapid aerial water supply. The folks who built it call it a helicopter hydrant; heli-hydrant for short.
“This is critically important,” said North County Fire Protection District Chief Keith McReynolds. “It’s going to be incredibly beneficial for not only the Fallbrook, Bonsall, and Rainbow area, but for the entire region.”
Just like a fire hydrant makes it easy for a firetruck to get water, the heli-hydrant makes it easier for firefighting helicopters to get water in the North County mountains. A helicopter lowers its snorkel into the hydrant, takes what it needs, and flies back to the fire. The heli-hydrant will then automatically refill for the next helicopter.