Federation, NSW – Firefighters and aircraft contained a crop and grass fire along Maxwelton Road on Thursday afternoon, December 4, 2025.

Video recorded by X user NSW Rural Fire Service shows the red-and-white RFS Waterbomber 210, registration N138CG, flying low over golden wheat fields under a clear blue sky as it releases a bright red stream of retardant from its belly tanks.

The 1-minute-15-second clip captures the aircraft banking sharply, its wingtip nearly touching the horizon, as the chemical line arcs across dry stubble and scattered eucalyptus trees. An RFS logo appears overlaid in the corner of the footage.

The drop creates a vivid stripe across the landscape, forming a barrier against the flames.

The fire, which had threatened local landholdings, was fully extinguished with no reported injuries or property damage. The operation underscored the RFS’s aerial support in rural fire response.

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