We had a fire break out right by our house a month or so ago and I watched the helicopters and planes work it for several hours. The planes are pretty effective but the helicopters seem like trying to put out a campfire with a thimble full of water. They can be good for hot spots but don't do much for the actual fire.
Here's a picture I took at the time. The tiny dot in the sky on the right is the helicopter. You can also see a plane coming in on the left.
