SAN DIEGO --
Copter One and San Diego Fire and Rescue made practice runs in an effort to control out-of-control fires during nighttime hours, NBC 7/39 reported.
At sundown on Saturday, firefighters went to remote areas in De Luz, 30 minutes north of Fallbrook, where they radioed their positions and Copter One made its drop.
"We're trying to make things as safe as we can at night," said Eric Connell of San Diego Fire And Rescue. "That's why we're here, to brief these guys, to show them what we do, to show them what we expect of them when we land to help fight a fire at night."
The fire department said this type of training could have helped stop 2003's Cedar Fires, which began just before sundown.
At this time, Copter One is the only local firefighting helicopter certified for nighttime fire operations, officials said.
