“In a respectful way, this has been one of the best air shows I’ve probably ever seen. I mean, these are incredible aircraft that they’re using and being able to really see them fight in person has been really highlight of my career,” Wood said.
HELENA, Mont. – Elbie Wood has done lots of aviation photography over the years, but the Horse Gulch fire may be the most aerial firefighting aircraft she’s seen in one place.
“This fire is obviously particularly close to water and particularly close to the fire base here at the airport. So, the action has been fast, you know, sometimes these scooper and tankers have to fly such a far distance in between every drop,”Wood said.
In some of the night photos she’s taken, lights from houses can be seen.
“There’s campgrounds and homes and all kinds of things in the way. And I’ve had several people commenting on some of the photos where they’re dropping the retardant and dropping the water kind of outside what looks like the parameter of where the fire is burning,” Wood said.
