How a helicopter fights a wildfire today

Air attack (a fixed-wing platform) orbits above, reads the fire, and assigns targets to each helicopter by radio.

The helicopter hovers over a lake, pond, pumpkin tank or river and fills a 300–400 gal bucket in 15–30 seconds.

At 60–90 kt, 200–500 ft over terrain, to the target the air attack described — a tree, a rock, a ridge.

A pass at 30–60 kt and 50–100 ft, bucket opened on the pilot's judgement of wind and slope; 300–400 gal on a 30–60 m line.

Dip-to-drop cycles of 3–8 minutes, 10–20 per fuel load, then back to the helibase to refuel.