The wildfires that are now engulfing parts of Western Russia have led to massive devastation, with some 600 fires burning and the smoke and heat visible even from space. The human cost is immense too, with over 50 dead in the forest blazes and the daily death rate in Moscow doubled because of the choking smog. To deal with this, the authorities have resorted to aircrews with a unique mission – aerial fire-fighting and currently some 39 aircraft and helicopters are engaged in battling the fires. One of these types used is  a tough helicopter with an equally tough job.