VIDEO: Four California firefighters airlifted in dramatic rescue

The chopper airlifted four National Guard firefighters who became injured behind the fire line

The record-breaking fires burning across California have killed at least 31 people and caused more than 50,000 to evacuate from their homes, but they’re not the only ones in harm’s way.

Over the weekend, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) released dramatic video of one of their rescue helicopters airlifting four National Guard firefighters in rural Butte County. The group was using hand tools to dig fire breaks, clearings that slow the spread of the flames, as part of the massive effort to contain the Bear Fear, which has been burning since August and has killed at least 15 people, making it the state’s deadliest, according to the San Jose Mercury News. 

“The complexity of this particular rescue is that it was in steep rugged terrain, and it’s also in the fire line,” CHP Flight Officer Matt Calcutt told CBS Sacramento on Sunday. “So there’s all sorts of consideration we have to take in during the call.”

All four were taken to a hospital to treat  leg injuries and heat exhaustion, and have since been released. More than 600 National Guard members have been assigned to fight fires alongside crews from California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.

The weekend also marked California crossing even deeper into unprecedented levels of fire damage, with 4 million acres burned, more than doubling the previous record while there are still two months left in California’s regular fire season. Cal Fire said on Sunday more than 16,500 firefighters are still battling 23 major blazes across the state.

Climate change and sprawling residential development have both exacerbated California’s natural fire season.