On Friday afternoon, an abrupt change in the winds throughout the Santa Monica Mountains propelled the Palisades Fire northward and eastward, heading in two distinct paths towards Encino and Brentwood.

Appalled Angelenos throughout the southern San Fernando Valley and western Los Angeles observed flames leaping across ridgelines and columns of smoke rising into the night, compounding the city’s already tragic fires. I feared for the destruction of the region.

Nevertheless, there were two significant distinctions in this confrontation. A vast fleet of aircraft stood by to discharge water and retardant, and the flight missions were feasible even amid strong winds.

Thus, the pilot initiated operations.

In the ensuing 24 hours, there was a comprehensive assault utilizing air resources, with a sufficient number of helicopters to tackle the flare-up of the fire, at times waiting in line for the subsequent directive to descend. Accessible water sources, notably the Encino Reservoir, situated less than a mile from the fire’s northern front, also expedited the water distribution to the tanks, authorities stated.

Although the fire ultimately expanded by roughly 1,000 acres and possibly compromised or obliterated several residences, extensive containment stopped the flames from encroaching further into the city once again. It was accomplished. By Saturday evening, many in the vicinity exhaled a collective breath of relief.

“To be honest, a large part of it was due to the resources at our disposal, everyone was informed, everyone was ready,” stated California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, specializing in aviation. Battalion Chief Shawn Prieder remarked. “Even though we were equipped on the first day, we lacked the number of resources we had on Friday. Truly, that’s a significant aspect of our achievement. It’s not solely in the air, it’s on the ground as well.”

Unlike Tuesday’s turmoil, when 80 mph winds immobilized planes during a critical phase of the initial firefight, airstrikes from Friday into Saturday were fundamental in ceasing further catastrophic fires.

“There were so many aircraft taking off that the firefight was uninterrupted,” remarked Jim Hudson, Cal Fire Incident Commander for Palisades Fire. “They circle out of the area, get clearance, drop in, fill in. It’s just a constant cycle… It was essential.”

Flight trackers indicated the fleet orbiting between the Encino Valley and the fire’s northern front on Friday evening, descending into the Mandeville Valley at the eastern edge of the fire.

With ample air support, crews released more than 650,000 gallons of water on the fire from 8 a.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, Prieder mentioned. About half of the drops were reportedly executed between Friday evening and Saturday.

“That’s an enormous quantity,” he stated, pointing out it was the most water discharged within 24 hours on the Palisades fire. “Everybody exerted their utmost that day.”

Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were prepared from various adjoining jurisdictions, as well as the province, the nation, and even Canada, under a coordinated command from multiple firefighting agencies. At least three types of helicopters were operational during the assault, consisting of helicopters capable of accommodating 480 gallons, 1,000 gallons, and 2,500 gallons, along with fixed-wing planes, noted Brett Willis, head of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Air Operations Battalion. He indicated that the craft was primarily deployed for flame retardant drops. He estimated that more than a dozen aircraft were engaged in firefighting at different times on Friday and Saturday. LAFD and Palisades Fire spokesperson Capt. Eric Scott confirmed that over 40 helicopters were allocated to the fire at the time, along with several fixed-wing aircraft being utilized throughout the area’s blazes.

“It was a continuous process,” Willis remarked.

He recalled flying over the fire early Friday morning, anxious about how the shifting weather would endanger Mandeville Canyon, a small, wealthy neighborhood in Brentwood.

“If this weather shifts and the wind intensifies, we must be cautious, or we risk losing Mandeville,” Willis recalled expressing.

That’s precisely what occurred when the winds transitioned from the traditional Santa Ana pattern to an onshore flow, further spreading the fire.

“We noticed the wind direction changing gradually and recalled the aircraft from the helibase,” Willis asserted. “Rapidly, we transitioned from about three or four aircraft engaged in minor firefighting to 12 aircraft with large helitankers, preparing for aerial assaults to guide fixed-wing operations.”

Officials mandated evacuations for Brentwood and the foothills of Encino and Tarzana as the fire advanced northward and eastward with the fresh winds. The flames surged through a fire line established along Mulholland Drive and crossed the line on the western side of Mandeville Canyon.

By Saturday morning, fixed-wing aircraft had joined the fray.

“Fixed-wing retardant-discharging planes directly targeted the area,” Willis asserted. “It was absolutely crucial, and it was likely the pivotal point that salvaged the remainder of the region.”

Willis stated that the planes not only refilled with water at Encino Reservoir but also from Stone Canyon Reservoir, situated just above Highway 405, and from various other nearby locations where planes can access water from fire hydrants, including Topanga. He estimated that some helicopters could drop, resupply, and redrop within 10 to 20 minutes if necessary. In certain instances, there were lines of personnel awaiting deployment to hot spots or fire lines, Hudson reported.

“They’re just queuing up,” Hudson explained. “They go 12 miles until it’s their turn, and then there’s a constant rotation… They arrive, they’re delayed, the next aircraft is deferred. They just establish a line, simply connecting the dots. They reload and immediately return to the stack.”

Although the airstrikes proved vital, Willis indicated that they work in tandem with ground personnel.

“It’s complete cooperation. We simply perform various tasks,” Willis explained. “However, given the extent of the area to cover and the magnitude of the fires, we witnessed firefighting efforts that we had never observed before… we knew that aerial firefighting would be a vital component.”

Sarah Cohen spent a great deal of Friday night observing the unceasing droplets of water, hoping the fire would not jeopardize her Tarzana residence, yet stated she was struck by the endeavors to extinguish the blaze.

“They merit a parade and a bonus,” Cohen remarked on Saturday.

With the fire still ablaze and high winds remaining a concern, it’s challenging to experience much relief. However, Willis asserted he took pride in their accomplishments on Friday and Saturday.

“In spite of all the setbacks and losses, we garnered substantial success and saved many structures,” Willis stated. “And I believe the aviation resources were an absolutely crucial element in safeguarding the region.”

Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.