With the Santa Anas are moving in, red flag warnings are going up, and that means extreme fire danger.
Crews in Orange County have a new tool to help in the firefight: a type of fire hydrant for water-dropping helicopters.
With wildfire season a year-round threat in Southern California, firefighters need all the help they can get to keep up with the all too familiar wind-driven infernos. In October, the Blue Ridge Fire damaged seven homes and destroyed another - but Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg Barta says it could have been much worse without the efficiency of this heli-hydrant.
"We were able to utilize this heli-hydrant to refill helicopters rapidly so they could continue making water drops which saved countless homes," Barta said.