As a raging wildfire accelerates toward the cluster of homes nestled along a ridgeline, a four-engine converted cargo airplane swoops in and drops thousands of gallons of water and fire retardant on the flames to halt their progress.

Water bombers and bucket helicopters play a critical role in slowing or stopping the spread of wildfires that annually inflict hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, destroy homes, and can displace families.

Aircraft are used to drop the firefighting paratroopers known as “smoke jumpers” near new outbreaks of fire so that these fires can be controlled before they get out of hand. Aircraft also drop emergency supplies, and are used to survey large areas while evaluating the level of fire threat and fire damage.

Helicopters are used routinely for rooftop rescues, and for high altitude rescues from skyscrapers, mountainsides, towers, or construction cranes.