SPOKANE, Wash.-- Air support's job is a vital part of fighting wildfires; they make sure fires don't get too big while crews on the ground work to contain it.
"We handle all the radio traffic and scooping the water and making the drops," said Fire Boss Line Pilot Keaton Mitchell.
When a wildfire is burning, there is a lot of work to do.
"If we have a water sources close by it's not uncommon for us to do about 30 scoops and 30 drops in a three-hour time period," said Mitchell.
The combination of heat, poor visibility and wind makes the job more difficult.
Air support's job is to make it easier for firefighters on the ground. Their goal is to cool down the area and stop the fire from spreading until crews can get a line around it.
"We try to get there as quickly as we can to try to help those guys on the ground and that's what our jobs really are," said Mitchell.
With the wildfire season heating up and with much more left of it, Mitchell knows what's in store for his flight plan. "Long days and a lot of work ahead of us for sure," Mitchell said.