VIDEO: Smoke plumes and an orange glow render the typically picturesque tree-lined view above hazy mountains into a nightmarish, apocalyptic scene. Shouts declaring "brush fire!," echo over radios.
Firefighters swarm a helicopter and fire helicopter pilot Desiree Horton as she prepares for liftoff.
“This is a dangerous job,” Horton said. “You are putting your life at risk to save and help people.”
Horton, the only female fire department helicopter pilot in California, knows she plays a vital role fighting the wildfires.
“The aircraft is trying to slow [the fire] and get the guys on the ground to put the line in and just stop it dead in its tracks,” she said. While there are over 320,000 firefighters nationwide, only 4% are women, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.