Watch: Pilot of Fire Tanker Floods Mountainside Hotspot with Absolutely Perfect Drop
In Los Angeles County, a skilled pilot showcased exceptional talent in battling wildfires, as highlighted by a viral video garnering 1.8 million views. The video, shared by Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, depicted the pilot effectively managing challenging conditions like strong winds and smoke while dropping water from a firefighting aircraft. The video illustrates the complexities of aerial firefighting, especially during a time when three important blazes are threatening the area, exacerbated by Santa Ana winds gusting up to 100 mph.California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, emphasizing the dire fire weather conditions reported by the National Weather Service.While firefighters and residents may anticipate some respite from winds, forecasts suggest that they will strengthen again later in the week. The online response demonstrated widespread thankfulness for the pilot’s skill in executing precise drops amid perilous circumstances.
Flying over an inferno, this pilot made it look easy.
As firefighters on the ground and in the air battle three blazes raging in Los Angeles County, a video posted to social media showed just how much skill is involved in taking on a natural catastrophe.
And in this pilot’s case, the aim was dead-on.
Amazing skill by this pilot to factor in the wind. https://t.co/Am8QTwIWQP
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 7, 2025
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin re-posted the video from the X account of firevalleyphotoop, where it had picked up 1.8 million views by Wednesday morning.
“Amazing skill by this pilot to factor in the wind,” Melugin wrote.
The original post doesn’t describe exactly what the plane was dropping, but according to Reuters, firefighting aircraft are scooping up water from the Pacific Ocean and flying it over the three blazes to dump on the flames.
As the video showed, considering the wind conditions and smoke surrounding the California fires, that’s no easy task. But this pilot made it look that way.
And as the responses to the post showed, there was plenty of appreciation for it:
Calculated the wind perfectly. Hats off captain, beautiful drop
— Big Dave (@Dave58Big) January 8, 2025
So dangerous. Amazing.
— pnw working mom (@PNW_working_mom) January 8, 2025
Wow, impressive aiming with that strong wind. pic.twitter.com/3jBTZuS23G
— tucks (@tucks42) January 8, 2025
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the area on Tuesday.
The wind is no small matter when it comes to the fires.
The Santa Ana winds were gusting at nearly 100 mph on Tuesday, according to Fox Weather, feeding a major fire in the coastal Pacific Palisades region and two fires inland.
The fires are also being spread because of ground conditions after a dry December, according to Reuters.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday declared conditions “about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather,” Reuters reported.
Firefighters and residents might expect some relief from the winds, which were expected to weaken Wednesday evening, according to Fox. But they are forecast to resume strength on Friday.
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