Laguna Beach receives funds to aid in aerial firefighting

Laguna Beach will look to add to its firefighting infrastructure after Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley presented city officials with $50,000 to go toward the purchase and installation of a new helicopter refilling tank.

Foley met with city leaders, including the City Council and fire department officials, to present a check on Thursday at Fire Station No. 1.

“I think that what I’m hoping we can do for Orange County is build out a system of HeloPods,” Foley said after presenting the funds from her office’s discretionary budget. “It is the most cost-effective way for us to extinguish fire. We have the helicopters now. We know that when they rotate to all the HeloPods, we can get water quickly.

“It’s accessible and available ... This will be our sixth HeloPod in the Fifth District, and so I think the more of these that we install across the county, the better we are for fire prevention.”

Laguna Beach added a new piece to its wildland firefighting capabilities with the introduction of its first helicopter refilling tank during the coronavirus pandemic.

City leaders lauded the role of the technology in suppressing the Rancho fire. The firework-ignited blaze broke out on July 7, 2025, but firefighters quickly put it out, limiting the fire’s footprint to 4.6 acres.

“We saw that fire, even though it was only 4 acres, racing up a hillside going towards the homes,” Fire Chief Niko King said. “It was our firefighters making a stand against those houses in the right position, but the helicopters came and did the water drops right as that fire started to crest and encroached on those homes.

“It was the quick turnaround times — about every 60 to 90 seconds — we saw them filling back up and returning to the fire, so incredible turnaround times. I think that’s probably the best visual that we could have for seeing the success of the Helopod program.”

In Laguna Beach, the first HeloPod was placed on the fire road between the Top of the World and Arch Beach Heights neighborhoods. An additional helicopter refilling station is attached to the Louis J. Zitnik Reservoir in North Laguna, Dept. Fire Chief Andrew Hill said. Both are operated by the Laguna Beach County Water District.

A location for the new HeloPod has yet to be determined, King said, adding that South Laguna is an area in need of coverage.

HeloPod costs include a purchase price of around $60,000, Hill said, with automation expenses ranging between $40,000 and $50,000.

“Our goal is to get them all automated,” Hill added. “That’s the intent of these is that they don’t require a fire engine to go assist the helicopter in filling. It’s automatic, and so that fire engine is available for firefighting when the time comes.”

Approximately 87% of land in Laguna Beach falls within the very high fire hazard severity zone. Preventive measures and preparing the community to respond to emergencies remains a top priority.

“I don’t see the end yet,” Assist. City Manager Jeremy Frimond said. “I think there’s continual opportunities for improvement. I would think this organization feels that way. I know the fire chief, the city manager, certainly our council, all feel that we can’t be too proactive in that area.”