Just looking at the flights, it appears the fire is using a bunch of aircraft out of Chico the last few hours. I see a CL215 headed south, I guess it is going toward Clear Lake? Never seen a scooper in these parts, I wonder what those who have used them think of them.
The scooper are on the way to the Mendicino complex
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They were frequently in Lake Tahoe last year. They may have been based in Tahoe. I believe their contract was with for the TNF.
Birken, We used three scoopers on the McCabe fire in BTU in 2015. They were the only air assets available at the time and dropped 6000 gallons directly on the fire every seven minutes. Scooped out of Lake Oroville. Impressive beyond words and kept the fire which was well established in McCabe Ravine, out of Forbestown. Great tool of scoop site is close.
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We had scoopers and the Martin Mars on the Motion Complex in Shasta County in 2008. They were operating off of Lake Shasta at the time. The Mars was cool because it looked too slow to stay aloft 
They were fantastic IA resources, though the Mars was a bit too cumbersom for some of the canyons. The Mars was also available from New Melones in TCU for a summer around 2007/2008, though the exact details of the contract now escape me
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They used Indian Valley for the Pawnee in early July
The scoopers were have been used on the Minerva fire last year in Plumas county and also the chips fire I believe.
The scoopers on the Carr today were in the Papoose Arm of Trinity Lake and just bombarding the County Line Road ridge above the lake over and over. It practically seemed like a 2min turnaround. As others said, when they can scoop nearby, even at a 10min turn around, it beats “load and return” of the red stuff. Another tool in the toolbox, and VERY effective.
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I worked in WA with them a couple years back and they had a 3-4 minute turnaround, as you say, they can do a of of good with those timings.
We see the 215 and 415 here in No Central WA pretty often, as they come down from British Columbia. (BC and the WA DNR have a good working arrangement…and because the DNR and the Feds have agreements… they get used all over). WA has had, or does have some, on contract, at Deer Park…north of Spokane. I think ID State does, too?
Impressive…and as others have pointed out…very quick turnaround!
LA Co. based two at Van Nuys Airport. What do I thing? You are looking at one bad ass bomber with quick turn around time and impressive maneuverability. There’s a reason you see them in the news in every other country instead of VLAT’s…politics aside dollar for dollar they are the best platform.
Just found this article of the scoopers dropping and scooping out of Shasta. https://activenorcal.com/watch-the-martin-mars-waterbomber-on-shasta-lake/