If you’ve lived around the Valley for any length of time you’ve seen the water-dropping helicopters flying overhead. I have never thought about what was involved in their job. We always thank the line firefighters as we should, I can’t think of a harder and more dangerous job than that of the firefighter.

I went down the Old Kern Canyon Road on my way to Bakersfield on Friday, the day after the Bodfish fire started. I ended up stopping at the Hobo Flats Campground and watching, in amazement, the water-dropping helicopters take water out of the Kern River at the campground. It was about 9:00 a.m. when I arrived. I returned about 4:00 that afternoon and they were still running as fast as they were seven hours earlier.

They risk life and limb dropping down in the narrow canyon areas to fill their tanks and they don’t waste any time doing it. These are probably the same pilots that risk their lives on river rescues. While I was there it took them about 10 or 12 minutes to take on water, dump it on the fire and be filling up for another run. I have a new found respect, admiration and appreciation for the water dropping helicopter crews and their abilities as pilots. John Perry

Bodfish