Video captures helicopter rescue of firefighters trapped as flames approach

Two firefighters with the Marin County Fire Department were rescued by helicopter after flames trapped them on a ridgeline Friday night.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office posted video of the dramatic nighttime rescue online, said the firefighters were about 75 yards from the advancing flames, which were creating their own strong, gusting winds that intensified as the helicopter neared the blaze.

A tactical officer was able to attach both firefighters to a 100-foot line trailing from the helicopter, which airlifted all three to safety.

“Sometimes, even First Responders need a First Responder,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook.

The rescued firefighters were caught in the Woodward fire, which has burned 2,259 acres in the Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County and was 5% contained as of Saturday morning.