FULLERTON — The Orange County Fire Authority received a pair of Sikorsky S-70 Firehawk helicopters, each capable of dropping 1,000 gallons of water on wildfires, authorities said Saturday.

The two helicopters were flown Friday from Englewood, Colorado, to OCFA Air Ops at Fullerton Airport, OCFA Capt. Thanh Nguyen told City News Service.

The next step was to train the pilots and crews to prepare them for peak fire season in August, Nguyen said.

The Firehawks have cutting-edge technology, water-dropping power, precision and agility to bolster the OCFA's wildland firefighting and remote rescue capabilities, according to the OCFA. They each drop 258% more water than the two Bell 412 choppers, which can drop 350 gallons each.

The helicopter fleet will be able to refill tanks at a series of heli- hydrants the OCFA has installed at Laguna Beach's Top of the World, as well as in Yorba Linda and on Ortega Highway (state Route 74), with more to come, Nguyen said.

The additional choppers means the OCFA has four operational aircraft for the first time since 2020, fire officials said.