Orange County ‘Coastal Fire’ chopper controversy

There was only one firefighting chopper in the air for the first hour of the Coastal Fire, which broke out last month in Laguna Niguel and destroyed 20 homes. Now many people are wondering why neither of the two sheriff’s helicopters were used on the flames. 

RELATED: Coastal Fire destroys at least 20 homes in Laguna Niguel

It’s like, I miss my house. I want to go to my house, but it just doesn’t exist anymore,” said Ramin Yazdi, whose home was destroyed in the fire. 

As the flames raced toward his Coronado Pointe community, the only water-dropping helicopter fighting the fire, for the first hour, belonged to the Orange County Fire Authority. 

A long running battle between OCFA and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which used to have two firefighting helicopters on standby that could drop water on brush fires within minutes, may be the reason, at least in part, that there was only one water-dropping chopper over the Laguna Niguel fire. 

Three years ago, the water tanks were removed from the OC Sheriff’s helicopters and now, in the case of a fire, have to be bolted back on, which takes more than hour, if the choppers and crew are available, but they weren’t when the Coastal Fire erupted. 

CBSLA reported on the battle between the two agencies years ago, when the county board of supervisors demanded that they work together after incidents, like a hiker rescue and another fire, had fire and sheriff pilots arguing over the radio. 

“As a county supervisor with this fire in my district, I expect a very thorough investigation and a very detailed report,” Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said. 

RELATED: SoCal Edison reports ‘circuit activity’ near Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel

Bartlett said she wants all the facts on the response and the cause of the fire, which neighbors claim was a downed Southern California Edison wire. 

As a county supervisor wit this fire in my district I expect a very thorough investigation and a very detailed report

As for Yazdi, he said he’s not blaming first responders because he believes they did all they could to save his home. 

“As far as I’m concerned, the firefighters who I spent the whole night with on the street, who two of them got injured, who had tears in their eyes, I don’t fault anything about them,” he said. 

RELATED: Lawsuit filed by homeowners holds SoCal Edison responsible for sparking Coastal Fire

Yazdi is also one of the 20 homeowners that are now suing SoCal Edison, accusing the utility company’s equipment for starting the fire, though the cause of the destructive blaze is still under investigation.