🚒 Firefighter Heli 3D

Be a firefighting helicopter pilot

Firefighter Heli 3D puts you in the seat of a firefighting helicopter in Pine Valley, a quiet green valley with a lake, a winding river, a small village and thousands of pine trees. Then the smoke starts rising. Your helicopter carries a big orange water bucket on a long line. You dip it into the lake to fill it, fly back to the fire and drop the water right on the flames, again and again, until the last flame is out.

This is not a fire that just sits there. The wildfire is simulated across the whole valley: every patch of forest can catch fire, flames jump to the next trees, the wind pushes the fire forward and it races uphill. Burnt forest turns black and stays black, and if the fire reaches the village, the houses can burn too. Every drop you make changes what happens next.

How firefighting helicopters work

Real firefighting helicopters often carry a collapsible bucket, sometimes called a Bambi bucket, on a cable under the helicopter. The pilot flies low over a lake or a river, lets the bucket sink into the water to fill it, and then flies to the fire with the bucket swinging underneath. Over the flames, the pilot opens a valve and the water falls in a big shower. Pilots try to drop low and slow so the water lands in one strong splash. That is exactly how it works in this game, including the swing of the bucket on its line.

Eight missions

Campfire Trouble is a small fire near the lake to learn the basics. Two Smoky Spots sends you back and forth between two fires. Windy Hill is one fire on a slope with a strong wind. In Save the Village, the wind is blowing a forest fire straight toward the houses. Lightning Storm keeps starting new fires while you work. Ridge Runner is a big fire racing along a mountain ridge. Night Fire happens after dark, when the glow of the flames is all you can see. The Big One is two large fires with a wind that slowly changes direction.

Each mission gives up to three stars: one for putting the fire out, two for also saving every house and keeping the burnt forest under 4%, and three for doing all that faster than par time.

Fire Season

In Fire Season, lightning keeps striking the valley and starting new fires, faster and faster. There is no end: your job is to hold the valley for as long as you can. The season is over if three houses burn or too much of the forest is lost. Your best time is saved.

Three helicopters

Stars unlock bigger helicopters. The Bucket Bird is quick and nimble with a small bucket. The Water Bear carries a bigger bucket that puts out a wider area. The Sky Crane carries a huge bucket that can stop a whole fire front in one drop, but it is slow to turn and takes longer to fill.

Firefighting tips

Always check the wind arrow. A fire grows fastest on the side the wind is blowing toward, so put that side out first and work back toward the burnt area. Fires climb hills quickly; get above them. Fly low and slow when you drop: a high, fast drop spreads the water thin. If a fire is heading for the village, drop water on the trees between the fire and the houses: wet ground cannot burn for a while, so it works like a firebreak. Use the high camera (press C) to see the whole fire front.

Safe for kids

Firefighter Heli 3D is about helping: there are no people in danger shown, and houses that burn simply turn dark. It is a great way to learn how wind, slopes and fuel make wildfires spread, and why firefighters act fast. It runs in modern browsers on computers, Chromebooks and tablets with no download, account or purchases, and progress is saved only in your browser. See the Parents & Safety page for more.

More helicopter games

Love rescue flying? Try winching people to safety in Rescue Heli 3D or learn to fly properly in Helicopter Simulator 3D. Every helicopter game is on our Helicopter Games page.

Frequently asked questions