Except the first night the winds in the Palisades were too strong and erratically gusty to fly anything, especially the kind of daredevil flying necessary to drop water into a fiery maelstrom, in the thick smoke and rugged terrain. So they were limited to a ground attack, which is why so many homes and acres burned. The fact so few people died is a testament to much of the work they did accomplish, saving lives rather than property.