内容摘要：that killed more than two dozen people as they swept through parts of the Midwest and South.

that killed more than two dozen people as they swept through parts of the Midwest and South.

In November, fire responders in San Diego put the product to the test when the 48-acre Garden Fire in Fallbrook, a community known for its avocado groves, prompted evacuation orders and warnings. Helicopters tapped the tank nearly 40 times.Pilot Ben Brown said its proximity to the fire saved not just time but fuel.

“They’re great for when you don’t have other water sources,” he said. “The more dip sites, especially in some of the more arid environments in the county, the better.”Glenn Chavez tests a newly installed Heli-Hydrant, a small, open tank that helicopters can rely on to get water faster for urban fires, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Cabazon, Calif. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)Glenn Chavez tests a newly installed Heli-Hydrant, a small, open tank that helicopters can rely on to get water faster for urban fires, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Cabazon, Calif. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)

Heli-Hydrants have raised some concerns about their placement in urban areas where houses, buildings and power lines can be obstacles to flight and they might have to squeeze into tighter spaces.In those cases, firefighters may choose to fly farther to a natural source that gives the helicopter more room, said Warren Voth, a deputy pilot with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. A pilot’s goal is to always to face the wind while entering and exiting an area, for safety, and they need room to accomplish that.

In some cases, the municipal systems needed to fill Heli-Hydrants could go empty during major fires. As the

in Los Angeles burned, three 1-million gallon tanks that helped pressurize city hydrants in the Pacific Palisades ran dry as demand soared and burning pipes leaked water.Catholic Maronite faithful pass under the icon of St. George in an act of supplication during a traditional procession on the saint’s Feast Day outside St. George Church in the Maronite village of Kormakitis in the breakaway north of the ethnically divided Cyprus on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Catholic Maronite faithful pass under the icon of St. George in an act of supplication during a traditional procession on the saint’s Feast Day outside St. George Church in the Maronite village of Kormakitis in the breakaway north of the ethnically divided Cyprus on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)A Vatican flag waves as the worshippers follow a traditional procession on the Feast Day of St. George outside St. George Church in the Maronite village of Kormakitis in the breakaway north of the ethnically divided Cyprus on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

A Vatican flag waves as the worshippers follow a traditional procession on the Feast Day of St. George outside St. George Church in the Maronite village of Kormakitis in the breakaway north of the ethnically divided Cyprus on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)Maronite Catholic faithful attend a service on the Feast Day of St. George in St. George Church in the Maronite village of Kormakitis in the breakaway north of the ethnically divided Cyprus on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)