you're suppression power. >> whitaker: we met brian fennessy at the truckee airfield, about 45 miles from the fires. after caldor destroyed the town of grizzly flats, fennessy volunteered to send his new firefighting choppers north. more like flying computers with rotors on top, they're called the quick reaction force. fennessy calls the fleet, "the hammer." >> fennessy: this is the hammer! >> whitaker: so if someone calls 911-- >> fennessy: if something breaks out-- >> whitaker: you hit it with everything you've got, these big guys, and knock it out. >> fennessy: in case of fire, break glass. >> whitaker: the star of the show is the massive chinook. this one used to fly in afghanistan for the u.s. army. it's been retrofitted to fight a different war, dropping water or retardant. now, fennessy told us, they have this powerful new tool to take that fight to the night. >> fennessy: the ability to la retardant line, to continue to sundown, that's a first. >> whitaker: that's going to change the way you fight fires? >> fennessy: we hope so. >> whitaker: the chinook can drop 3,000 gallons.