Moment Very Large Tanker Aeroplane Drops Load On Wildfire

This is the moment a very large air tanker drops a load on a wildfire raging in Montana.

The footage was shared online by the Lewis and National Forest, which is named after the famous explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (and has nothing to do with Superman), who said: "A VLAT (very large air tanker) that was timing out for the season helped us out by dropping one of its last loads over the the Crown Mountain Fire."

The fire is raging at Crown Mountain which is located in the Lewis and National Park in the US state of Montana. The footage shows an aeroplane flying over a mountain with burning forestry before it drops its load over the blaze.

The fire was 16 miles west of the city of Augusta and has burnt through 1368 acres according to local officials citing the latest information on Wednesday.

In a statement posted on its website, the National Forest said: "The Crown Mountain Fire started within the Forest boundary of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest some 16 miles west of Augusta, MT, in the northeast corner of quadrant 26. Local resources are engaged with full suppression actions maintaining the safety of fire personnel and the public as the number one priority.

"During the initial three days, gusty winds, unseasonably high temperatures, and dry conditions resulted in active fire behavior and dangerous firefighting conditions for direct attack on the fire. These circumstances forced air and ground crews to disengage from the fire on 10/5 and 10/6. The fire is burning within portions of the footprint of the 1988 Canyon Creek Fire.

"Fire personnel installed point protection on threatened ranches adjacent to the Forest boundary in Smith Creek as well as in the Benchmark corridor to include Double Falls recreational cabins and structures in the Ford Creek area. Windy conditions have again prevailed from 10/8 through present day.

"The fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain and fueled by regenerated Lodgepole pine and heavy stands of Douglas fir. Smoke is visible from Choteau, Augusta, and along Montana State Highway 287. Please be cautious of fire traffic working in and around Augusta, Smith Creek, and the Benchmark Corridor." (sic)

Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) and William Clark (1770–1838) who US President Thomas Jefferson picked to explore the Louisiana Purchase and who reached the Pacific in 1806 after departing from Saint Louis in 1804.

@LewisandClarkNF, Ted Frazer/CZ/Joe Golder