Aviation Services: Advancing Public Safety and Wildfire Mitigation
Leveraging Cutting-Edge Aerial Assets to Protect Our Communities
Rapid Response to Wildfire Danger
Preparation and speed are essential to protect lives, property, and essential infrastructure. Our aviation assets, including the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, are equipped to make precise water drops to protect the region—delivering crucial support to ground crews and helping contain wildfires before they escalate.
UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter
Introduced in 2019, our Black Hawk is available for year-round, immediate deployment through CAL FIRE. With the capability to fly up to 140 mph and carry 850 gallons of water, it can respond to fire emergencies 365 days a year. Its rapid refill time — just 45 seconds — ensures swift and sustained aerial suppression when it matters most.
Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program
SDG&E® was the nation’s first utility to gain FAA approval for UAS research and training. Our drones are now an essential tool in wildfire mitigation, offering a flexible and efficient solution for monitoring, inspection, and rapid assessment before and during emergencies. Drones extend our “eyes in the sky” to areas inaccessible by helicopters or ground teams, helping us detect fire hazards, assess storm damage, and maintain continuity of service.
Drones allow us to inspect power lines, monitor vegetation, and observe SDG&E infrastructure from above — without the need for heavy equipment or risking crew safety. Their battery-powered, zero-emission operation also reduces our environmental footprint. By providing real-time situational awareness, UAS technology helps us act quickly to identify potential risks and prevent outages before they happen.
Our Aviation Services Program Supports Wildfire Prevention by:
- Conducting aerial inspections of electric and gas facilities, enabling rapid damage assessments during emergencies.
- Identifying the causes of power outages quickly and accurately.
- Accessing remote and challenging terrain that ground crews cannot reach.
- Stringing cable in rugged areas to maintain infrastructure integrity.
- Monitoring vegetation management and SDG&E infrastructure for fire safety compliance.
- Providing real-time surveillance to support any emergency response.
With our Aviation Services, SDG&E is committed to leveraging technology and innovation to protect our communities, minimizing wildfire risk and ensuring reliable energy delivery — no matter the challenge.