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Video: Highway patrol helicopter rescues firefighters from Calif. wildfire

Four National Guardsmen found themselves trapped after battling the Bear Fire, officials said

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By Suzie Ziegler

BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. — Video released by California Highway Patrol over the weekend shows the dramatic rescue of four injured National Guardsmen trapped by a wildfire.

According to CBS 13, the Guardsmen were helping to fight the Bear Fire when they found themselves inside the firelines and unable to get out.

Video from the helicopter shows the Guardsmen standing on a smoky hillside. A helicopter rescue technician lowers a rope to each waiting firefighter in turn. All four crew members were taken to a hospital and are expected to make a full recovery, CHP confirmed.

“The complexity of this particular rescue is that it was in steep rugged terrain, and it’s also in the fire line,” Flight Officer Matt Calcutt told CBS 13. “So there’s all sorts of consideration we have to take in during the call.”

The firefighters were treated for injuries to their legs and heat exhaustion, reported CBS 13.

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NEXT: Video: Sheriff’s office helicopter rescues firefighters from wildfire

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