A helicopter flies above a fire

A helicopter prepares to drop water on a wildfire in California on September 5.

Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo

Fighting the Flames

During a disastrous wildfire season, helicopter and plane crews are risking their lives to fight fires and keep people on the ground safe.

As You Read, Think About: What are some ways aircraft can save lives during wildfires? 

Courtesy of Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office

Paul Bradley and Chris Haas are part of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office helicopter rescue team.

It’s the evening of August 21. Chris Haas is dangling from a rope about a hundred feet below a helicopter. Somewhere nearby, in the pitch black, two firefighters are waiting to be rescued. They were trying to help tame a raging wildfire in Point Reyes National Seashore in California. But now they are trapped in the fire’s path. 

Fortunately, Haas spots the firefighters’ headlamps blinking up at him. Pilot Paul Bradley fights the gusty winds as he carefully lowers Haas to the ground.

There is little time to spare—the fire is less than a football field’s length away. Haas quickly helps the firefighters into harnesses and clicks them onto his long line. Bradley lifts all three of them to safety. 

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have butterflies,” Haas recalls. “I just kept telling myself to relax and do my job.”

This is just one of many heroic efforts to keep people safe during this year’s deadly wildfire season. As Scholastic News went to press, dozens of large fires were blazing in Western states. At least 36 people had died, and entire communities had been reduced to ash and rubble. 

Thousands of firefighters and rescue personnel are working together to fight these fires and protect life and property—and much of the help comes from the air.

It’s the evening of August 21. Chris Haas is dangling from a rope. He’s hanging about a hundred feet below a helicopter. It is pitch black. Somewhere nearby, two firefighters are waiting to be rescued. They were trying to help tame a raging wildfire. The fire was in Point Reyes National Seashore in California. But now they are trapped in the fire’s path.

Fortunately, Haas spots the firefighters’ headlamps blinking up at him. Pilot Paul Bradley has to fight gusty winds. But he carefully lowers Haas to the ground.

There is little time to spare. The fire is less than a football field’s length away. Haas quickly helps the firefighters into harnesses. Then he clicks them onto his long line. Bradley lifts all three of them to safety. 

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have butterflies,” Haas recalls. “I just kept telling myself to relax and do my job.”

This is just one of many heroic efforts to keep people safe during this year’s deadly wildfire season. As Scholastic News went to press, dozens of large fires were blazing in Western states. At least 36 people had died. Entire communities had been reduced to ash and rubble. 

Thousands of firefighters and rescue personnel are working together to fight these fires. They’re also trying to protect life and property. Much of the help comes from the air. 

JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images

A plane drops chemicals to try to slow a wildfire in California on August 20.

Above the Flames

Wildfires often start deep in wilderness areas, but strong winds can cause them to spread extremely fast and threaten nearby homes. Getting the biggest fires under control can take weeks.

When a wildfire breaks out, aerial teams are often the first on the scene. Supervisors in spotter planes gather information about the blaze and coordinate with firefighters on the ground about the best way to contain it. Spotters also guide tanker planes to drop chemicals to slow the fire’s spread. 

Wildfires often start deep in wilderness areas. But strong winds can cause them to spread extremely fast. These fires can threaten nearby homes. Getting the biggest fires under control can take weeks.

When a wildfire breaks out, aerial teams are often the first on the scene. Supervisors in spotter planes gather information about the blaze. Then they coordinate with firefighters on the ground about the best way to contain it. Spotters also guide tanker planes to drop chemicals to slow the fire’s spread. 

In the Nick of Time

Meanwhile, helicopters carry firefighters to the edges of the blaze to attack it from the ground. They also provide protection from above. Firefighting helicopters can make precise water drops along escape routes for people fleeing the flames. 

When fast-spreading fires make an escape impossible, helicopter teams are often called to come to the rescue. On the night of September 5, more than 200 campers were trapped near a lake in the Sierra National Forest in California. A quick-moving fire blocked the only road out of the campground. Two military helicopters battled dense smoke and strong winds to get everyone out safely. 

“Every piece of vegetation as far as you could see around that lake was on fire,” one of the pilots later told reporters.

Even when staying above the flames, aerial firefighters aren’t out of danger. In August, two helicopter pilots, one in California and one in Oregon, died in crashes while dropping water on raging fires.

Experts predict that this year’s devastating wildfire season is far from over. Aerial firefighters and rescuers know they need to be ready for whatever comes their way. 

“In this line of work, the more we prepare for any situation we might face, the greater the chance we’ll be successful,” Haas says.

Meanwhile, helicopters carry firefighters to the edges of the blaze. The firefighters then attack it from the ground. Helicopters also provide protection from above. Firefighting helicopters can make precise water drops along escape routes. This helps people safely flee the flames. 

But fast-spreading fires sometimes make an escape impossible. Helicopter teams are often called to come to the rescue. That happened on the night of September 5. More than 200 campers were trapped near a lake in the Sierra National Forest in California. A quick-moving fire blocked the only road out of the campground. Two military helicopters had to battle dense smoke and strong winds. But they got everyone out safely. 

“Every piece of vegetation as far as you could see around that lake was on fire,” one of the pilots later told reporters.

Even when staying above the flames, aerial firefighters aren’t out of danger. In August, two helicopter pilots died in crashes while dropping water on raging fires. One crash was in California. The other was in Oregon.

Experts predict that this year’s devastating wildfire season is far from over. Aerial firefighters and rescuers know they need to be ready for whatever comes their way.

“In this line of work, the more we prepare for any situation we might face, the greater the chance we’ll be successful,” Haas says.

1. What is the author’s purpose in the first three paragraphs?

2. What makes many wildfires hard to get under control, according to the article?

3. Compare and contrast the roles that crews of spotter planes and helicopters play in fighting wildfires.

1. What is the author’s purpose in the first three paragraphs?

2. What makes many wildfires hard to get under control, according to the article?

3. Compare and contrast the roles that crews of spotter planes and helicopters play in fighting wildfires.

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