ESR CLOSE UP

Looking like a cross between something out of a science fiction movie and an huge squirt gun, a large firefighting helicopter capable of shooting a stream of water from a giant water cannon 175 feet was recently unveiled in Pasadena, California.

The response from fire department personnel was enthusiastic to say the least. "It's just awesome!" said Chris Gray, assistant fire chief for Glendale, California.

After firing a concentrated stream, the helicopter made a quick run to a reservoir where it filled its 2,000-gallon tank in 45 seconds. It returned and dumped water in a line the length of three football fields.

Chiefs and firefighters from Los Angeles and Orange counties and the U.S. Forest Service recently checked out the Erickson Air-Crane spray water from its nozzle as it hovered 100 feet over a parking lot. They also compared notes and firefighting techniques in expectation of a tough fire season, fueled by undergrowth because of the wet El Nino winter.

The helicopter, one of the largest in the world, can drop 2,000 gallons of water on a fire in a minute. Smaller helicopters can only make drops of 350 gallons. The water cannon, recently approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, fires a stream of water or fire retardant at a rate of 300 gallons per minute.

The cannon was developed at the request of Pacific Rim countries where officials wanted a tool for fighting high-rise fires. But the fire officials from Southern California see it also as a new weapon in fighting brush fires.

In 1997, the Los Angeles County Fire Department leased the Air-Crane from the company, based in Central Point, Oregon. Another contract for this year's fire season will be up for approval soon. The Air-Crane costs

$4,000 an hour to fly and, depending on the number of fires and flight times, can cost up to $1.5 million a year to operate.