The guard video, shot over the pilot's left shoulder, shows him aggressively working the yoke to keep the enormous plane airborne and on target to release a drenching stream of fire retardant. Next to his elbow, as Hollywood-level drama fills the rest of the frame, sits a bright red, undisturbed box of Chick-Fil-A takeout. That's life for the roughly 100 fire pilots fighting the hot, dirty and dangerous battle to save Los Angeles from this week's punishing flames.
According to the pilots, the struggle to maintain control of their ships in extraordinarily treacherous conditions is daunting. As Cal Fire official described the operation as possibly the most intense, complicated airborne firefight in U.S. history, it's evident that their focus remains unbroken even in such chaotic environments.
There's no words to describe, just, the horror. Those words from helicopter pilot Joel Smith encapsulate the immense pressure these pilots are under as they circle above burning hillsides, witnessing the desperate efforts of people on the ground trying to protect their properties by using garden hoses against raging flames.
This is the first time in Cal Fire history that we've had 24-hour operations. The air operations branch director Paul Karpus acknowledges the unprecedented complexity of the firefighting efforts, asserting that the ongoing emergency presents a battle of their lives since the fires erupted.
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