SAN DIEGO – A helicopter squadron based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar will remain in Northern California to aid local firefighters battling a 7,000-acre wildfire burning in Mendocino County.

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 has spent the last two weeks working out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, where they dropped more than 68,000 gallons of water on the Basin Complex Fire in Big Sur, U.S. Marine Corps officials said Saturday.

That fire has burned more than 114,000 acres and prompted the evacuation of several hundred residents.

The squadron's 30-plus Marines and three CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters will now head to McClellan Airfield in Sacramento to support the firefighting efforts at the Soda Complex Fire near Upper Lake.

Two other helicopter squadrons based out of Camp Pendleton are expected to remain at Lemoore indefinitely to help battle the fires.

Hundreds of firefighters from around San Diego County are also aiding the effort.

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