SACRAMENTO — Six years after the Creek Fire forced hundreds of people to flee for their lives as flames surrounded Mammoth Pool Reservoir, Governor Gavin Newsom today highlighted a new California National Guard (CalGuard) mini-documentary recounting the extraordinary nighttime mission that rescued 242 people — the largest helicopter rescue in National Guard history. 

When the sun went down that night, the fire didn’t stop — and neither did the rescue.

The Creek Fire began on September 4, 2020, in the Sierra National Forest and rapidly intensified during the Labor Day weekend. As thick smoke grounded civilian aircraft and people remained trapped near the reservoir, California National Guard aircrews from the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade made the decision to fly into the fire using night-vision goggles. 

Over seven hours, CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk crews made multiple flights through smoke-filled airspace, landing on a steep boat ramp with flames dangerously close to the aircraft and evacuating people suffering from severe burns and other injuries.

The mission saved 242 lives.

The new mini-film, “Beyond the Limits: Creek Fire Rescue,” tells the story through the eyes of the pilots and flight crews who carried out the mission — including the life-or-death decisions they made as the fire closed in.

The rescue also became a defining moment in California’s evolution of nighttime wildfire response, demonstrating what was possible when specialized military aviation capabilities could operate after dark. Today, California has continued to expand nighttime aviation capabilities and train CAL FIRE and Cal Guard crews who work together when wildfires threaten communities around the clock.

(Photo source: Gavin Newsom’s Newsroom)