A couple of years ago we had a bushfire in one of the reserves near our house. This was a built-up area, but there was a large area of bushland, with some big trees, and a lot of fuel for a fire to burn. We were all put on evacuation alert, to be ready for any call to leave our homes if the fire got any closer. The wind was also blowing quite strong, and the fire was not able to be controlled by ground crews. So they called in the air support, and we were treated to a show of precision flying and firefighting by these amazing pilots.
I managed to sit on our garden wall ( while Mrs MJ was packing our car.. just in case) and take a few snaps of the helicopters in action against a clear blue sky. I hope you enjoy...
Overall it took 4 helicopters almost 3 hours to bring the fire back under control, and for the ground crews to be able to maintain a safe area between the houses and the fire. The fir got within about 25 meters of the closest houses, about 5 houses away from where we were. It was a close call, but everything ended well for us all. We even got to meet a few of our neighbors that day.
Quite a stressful, but also entertaining afternoon to see these helicopters in action. We often undervalue the risks other take to ensure we are safe and out of harms way, and to protect our properties. These people are the true heroes of our communities.
My son is enrolled in an aviation program at school, so who knows... maybe he'll be doing something like this one day, and flying through fires... just don't tell mom!!!