The fire season in Chile is being especially challenging in 2025, with more than 4,000 incidents and 44,455 hectares affected so far this season, according to CONAF (La Corporación Nacional Forestal, the state-owned non-profit National Forest Corporation).

February is projected to be the hottest month in history, making the deployment of aerial resources to fight the fire quickly and effectively critical. In this context, Airbus helicopters, especially the single-engine H125 and the heavy twin-engine H215, have proven to be essential tools to deal with the emergency in complex terrain and extreme conditions.

The Airbus H125 is the most widely used helicopter in Chile for firefighting. Designed to operate in high-altitude and high-temperature environments, this model has been key in the operations carried out to date, allowing teams to fight the flames in hard-to-reach areas. With a helibucket of up to 1,200 liters and the capacity to distribute up to 25,000 liters of water in 2 and a half hours of flight, the H125 offers fast and precise discharges that slow the advance of the fire. Its power margin allows it to collect water from sources located at high altitude, which makes it a strategic resource in geographies such as the Chilean mountain range and foothills.

Companies such as Rotortec, Kipreos, Aeromax and Barraco Air have deployed their H125s in different affected regions, while Ecocopter, with a fleet of five H125s, has carried out key missions in containing the fire.

Another model that has taken center stage this season is the Airbus H215, from the Super Puma family, an aircraft designed for intensive emergency operations. Thanks to its robustness and large load capacity, the H215 can transport up to 20 firefighters and operate with a 4,000-litre helibucket, optimising firefighting tasks both day and night.

In a context of large-scale forest fires, its performance has been crucial to mitigate disasters in critical areas with high fire spread. Currently, CONAF operates four Super Pumas –two from Air Lama and two from Helicópteros del Pacífico–, while Ecocopter, together with CMPC, has deployed two more in the most affected areas.

“When a fire breaks out, helicopters are the best way to get to the site quickly. Equipped with a “Bambi Bucket” type bucket, for example, they manage to control the flames and slow their advance,” explains Pierre-Marie Gout, General Manager of Airbus Helicopters Chile. He adds that “the main advantage of helicopters over airplanes is that they can carry out a drop every two or three minutes if there is a water source nearby, and helicopters such as the H125 and H215/Super Puma have the necessary attributes to operate in complex geographic areas such as those in Chile.”

In addition to their role in extinguishing fires, helicopters also fulfill essential missions in coordinating operations and transporting brigade members and equipment. The digital cockpit of the H125 allows for safer and more efficient operation, while its agility facilitates the aerial management of ground resources. In the case of the H215, its large internal space and multipurpose design allow it to be adapted to various operational needs, from the transfer of personnel to equipment logistics.

With a summer that challenges historical temperature records and an increasingly critical fire scenario, Airbus helicopters continue to be fundamental allies in the fight against fire, protecting communities and ecosystems in Chile

[file photo]