Newly released video shows the dramatic moment firefighters rescued three people and two dogs as thick smoke and flames fast approached in Southern California.

The Los Angeles Fire Department released video Tuesday of a helicopter crew rescuing the group from a mountain peak as a wildfire bore down.

The Nov. 9 video was taken as pilots David Nordquist and Joel Smith battled the Woolsey Fire, which was raging through the Santa Monica Mountains toward Malibu.

The crew was making a water drop when it was asked to rescue the group. The pilots headed that way despite dwindling fuel.

With smoke darkening the sky, they hunted for a landing spot among antenna towers, service buildings, cars and vegetation.

They finally found a tight spot and saved the people and their pets.

Meanwhile, fire officials say firefighters have gained ground against a Northern California wildfire that killed at least 79 people. Nearly 700 people remained unaccounted for.

The California The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday that the fire is now 70 percent contained. That’s up from 66 percent Monday morning. The blaze’s size remained at 236 square miles (611 square kilometers).

The gains come ahead of rain forecast for the region starting Wednesday that is expected to last through the Thanksgiving weekend.

The National Weather Service has issue and flash flood watch for wildfire-scarred areas.

It says newly burned areas in and around Paradise are prone to downhill ash and debris flows.

Officials say they worry rain could complicate the efforts of the crews searching for human remains by washing away signs of the dead or turning the dusty debris into a thick paste.

(AP)