May 2020, after a sustained period of hot, dry weather, fire-fighters spent 24hrs trying to get control of a woodland fire, caused by a BBQ.

The dense, established woodland and steep slopes, sitting directly above 40ft cliffs at the mouth the River Dart in south Devon, UK, made access for ground crews extremely challenging, presenting many safety issues as well as the difficulty of trying to run sufficient hose out to attack the multiple seats of the fire.

The decision was made by Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service to call out AH Helicopters Services, in order to regain control & knock the fire down quickly. Being able to fill the Bambi Bucket from the bay below, we were able to drop over 15,000 litres per hour, accurately, on to the required areas (trees, hotspots in peat substrate and gorse fires at the foot of slope), completing the task within 3 hrs.

(Majority of footage kindly supplied by the guys & girls of Devon & Somerset Fire Service... and an encroaching kayaker!)

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