Whiteman Airport Played Vital Role in Combating the Hurst Fire in Sylmar

Whiteman Airport Played Vital Role in Combating the Hurst Fire in Sylmar

Credit - by Gabriel Arizon, San Fernando Valley Sun/El Sol January 15, 2025

When the Hurst Fire was still burning last week in the hills of Sylmar, Whiteman Airport in Pacoima served as a base for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) to combat the flames and contain the spread.

James Miller, squadron commander of the Civil Air Patrol’s cadet squadron at Whiteman, explained that on Wednesday, Jan. 8, when the fires began to rage around Los Angeles, Cal Fire brought in Firehawk helicopters to specifically battle the Hurst Fire.

It served as an ideal location due to its close proximity to the fire. The Van Nuys and Burbank airports were already filled up with other assets that were being deployed to the Palisades Fire.

A Firehawk helicopter was brought into Whiteman Airport by Cal Fire on Wednesday, Jan. 8, to combat the Hurst Fire in Sylmar. (Photo Courtesy of James Miller)

The helicopters utilized Whiteman Airport, where Cal Fire also brought in helitenders – large trucks that carry fuel and water so the helicopters could quickly refuel and get back in the air to drop more water onto the Hurst Fire.

Miller said that between the evening of Jan. 7 and the morning of Jan. 8, the Hurst Fire had grown from 10 acres to more than 500, and “had they [Cal Fire] not been able to get into Whiteman and had to go from a longer distance … it would have been longer in between water drops and the fire would have had the potential to expand.

“It was initially growing as fast as the Palisades Fire, and where it was located actually made it a threat to the whole northern end of the valley,” Miller continued. “With the winds we had, … the potential for it to blow into the Lake View Terrace and Pacoima areas was great and we could have had a third disastrous fire on our hands.”

However, with the support of Whiteman, Miller said, Cal Fire was able to effectively fight the blaze. The Hurst Fire has now been knocked down but devastated nearly 800 acres.

Cal Fire has left Whiteman, but helicopters are still being deployed out of the Barton Heliport, which lies adjacent to the airport, at all hours of the day to assist in the firefighting efforts.

“If Cal Fire needs us, they have made arrangements to come back and utilize us,” Miller said.

Whiteman has been a subject of controversy for several years, as the organization Pacoima Beautiful and politicians have called for its closure to make way for other developments but have not disclosed what would replace the airport. The airport first opened in 1946, providing aviation recreation, transportation and instruction, and has a young pilot’s program. Opponents of the airport, however, cite crashes involving planes that took off from the Pacoima airport. 

In November 2020, a plane crashed on Sutter Avenue and collided with two cars, killing the pilot. In January 2022, a train collided with a plane that landed on the train tracks right outside the airport, though the pilot was fortunately pulled out of the aircraft seconds before the impact. Later that year in April, a plane crashed into an embankment alongside the westbound Foothill Freeway in Sylmar, killing pilot John King.

Although he can’t predict just how the Hurst Fire would have progressed without the local airport, Miller believes that it would’ve been more destructive if Whiteman wasn’t around.

“We do know that [it could’ve been worse], and we’ve seen it. You can see it watching what’s going on with the Palisades Fire, and when they can get water on the fire, they can slow or stop the spread,” Miller explained. “You can also tell when they can’t [drop water] how much faster it [the fire] spreads and how much more destructive it is. So that’s one of the contributions the airport makes.”

Aside from assisting Cal Fire, Miller added that helicopters from news outlets, including KTLA, that have been providing up-to-date information from the sky are based in Whiteman. Without the airport, those aircraft would have to relocate elsewhere.

The importance of Whiteman to the community and valley, Miller said, is regularly demonstrated. Last Wednesday, a charter jet originally bound for Van Nuys Airport had to be diverted because of ongoing firefighter operations. The charter plane was able to land at Whiteman Airport.

“Without Whiteman, I don’t know where they would’ve landed,” Miller said. “Whiteman serves as a reliever for other airports [including Burbank and Van Nuys].”

Credit - by Gabriel Arizon, San Fernando Valley Sun/El Sol January 15, 2025