THE CALIFORNIA FIRE SERVICE MAGAZINE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 • 15 He advanced through the ranks to become Greensburg’s Deputy Chief in charge of departmental training before he left the department for California in 1985 where he served with the San Marcos Fire Protection District and then ended his career as Deputy Chief – Operations for the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Fire Department. In the dry Mediterranean climate of San Diego County, he quickly saw first-hand the devastation that wildfires can cause. Sukay was the Branch Director on the 1996 Harmony fire that resulted in 8,600 acres burned, 144 homes lost and one fatality in a 16-hour period. He was the Division Chief Supervisor on the Del Dios fire in 1997 that scorched 3000 acres. “I, like so many other members of the fire service, have had to inventory homes that were destroyed, and I know how limited our current systems can be for fighting these fires. It was the genesis of me developing this game changing technology”. This project started in 2003 as ground units but was put on the shelf because of the limitations of accessibility, it wasn’t until the devastation of the Paradise fire in 2018 that the idea of using a helicopter to disperse foam came to Sukay. “After seeing the Paradise Fire, I realized that as ground foam units just weren’t going to be practical. This system needs to be supplied from the air. I am also a pilot. So, my thought was if we could match this technology and put it on a helicopter – a large helicopter -like a Skycrane. This would be significant.” Although the delivery system needed a revolutionary improvement, the actual foam also needed a shakeup. In addition to the system that will deliver the foam, Western States Fire chemist Dr. Chrystel Worsman Ph.D. has developed a proprietary foam concentrate that allows for enhanced fire extinguishment. It is a plant-based foam that is safe for humans, animals and aquatic life and it can creates a fire barrier that will last for up to 20 days. Although final pricing is not finalized it is anticipated that the SKHI-Ex foam price will be half the cost of current retardants. A fire hose from the sky The heart of the SKHI-Ex system is the chute that will deliver the foam suppressant near the seat of the fire. The chute itself follows an origami-inspired design that was developed in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. It is constructed of a fire-resistant nylon polymer that can handle over a thousand degrees of exposure. It will be about 100 feet long and six An artist’s rendering of SKHI-EX helicopter foam delivery system showing the origami-inspired foam delivery chute.
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