'Worse than combat:' Helicopters rescue hundreds from California wildfire

FILE PHOTO: A tree engulfed in flames is seen during the Creek Fire in Tollhouse, California, U.S. September 8, 2020. REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File Photo

(Reuters) - U.S. military helicopters on Tuesday plucked dozens more campers, hikers and locals from the path of a raging California wildfire, with one pilot describing conditions as more dangerous than combat.

California Army National Guard Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters were flying into dense smoke, sometimes landing within 50 feet (15 m) of flames while an extreme wildfire burned through a dead forest in Central California.