CAL FIRE Vina Helitack Base is in the community of Vina and has been an operational Helitack base since 1974. The base was demolished in 2018 and was completely rebuilt to replace outdated, inefficient infrastructure for the future growth of the aviation program. The new facility includes an updated and larger hangar to accommodate the new CAL FIRE “Hawk”; Blackhawk helicopter. CAL FIRE is in the process of replacing its entire fleet of Vietnam era Huey helicopters. Vina took delivery of their new Blackhawk Helicopter, the first CAL FIRE Hawk to be placed in service in the State of California in 2020 and transitioned out of the Huey in the summer of 2020. In addition to the new hangar, the base includes a new barracks with capacity to sleep 22 personnel. The new infrastructure also includes an equipment apparatus bay, training tower, bulk fueling areas and solar power to increase the efficiencies of the base. Vina Helitack recently transitioned to being open 365 days a year instead of being a seasonal facility, with future goals of operating 24 hours a day with the introduction of a night vision goggle program. Vina Helitack responds to a wide variety of emergency and non-emergency calls throughout the state. The base is staffed year round to respond to wildland fires, hoist rescues, medivac operations, mapping, reconnaissance, search and rescue and other missions as requested. Vina Helitack currently responds on the initial attack to wildland fires in Shasta, Tehama, and Butte counties with the ability to respond to other neighboring counties throughout the state as the need arises.
