WENATCHEE, Wash. – As if braving flames head-on isn't dangerous enough, imagine a "surprise attack" from the sky.

Local fire crews on the front lines faced a new threat coming straight at them through their front windshield.

Seeing the video, it’s amazing anyone survived.

The scene: a dangerous wildfire, a low-flying chopper, and a bucket loaded with thousands of pounds of water.

“Oh my god, here it comes. He came to a complete stop. Sure enough, there comes the helicopter bucket through the window,” recalled Brian Kees, Getchell firefighter.

“This is it. This is how it’s going to end. Game over,” said Nicholas Verbon, Getchell firefighter.

Another firefighter at Wenatchee's Easy Street Fire last week shot the video as a DNR helicopter rose up over a ridge and flew straight at the ground crews riding inside the truck.

“It was like in slow motion. We saw the helicopter come over the cliff, waiting for him to lift, waiting for him to lift, and he just didn't go,” said Kees.

“It came to that crucial point, it doesn't matter what happens, it's coming in the window, it’s going to hit us, on the driver's side, right at me,” said Verbon.

Fortunately, Getchell firefighters Nicholas Verbon and Brian Kees were fresh from the firelines and still wearing their goggles and helmets when the bucket smacked into them.

“It was like the windshield exploded,” said Verbon.

But, even as the chopper was turning a 180 above them, the firefighters instantly faced another possible death threat.

“The truck started to roll down the hill, started to roll toward the cliff. That was scary,” said Kees.

When driver Verbon dove to escape the bucket, he pulled his foot off the brake.

“We started heading off the road into the ravine, if the bucket didn't get us, the cliff sure would have,” said Verbon.

Just in time he hit the brakes and they both dove from the truck. The helicopter flew off.

“We deal with a lot of risky things in the fire service. You just have to keep a strong head about you,” said Verson.

The Department of Natural Resources is reportedly investigating. Meanwhile, the driver of that fire rig went on to fight two other wildfires and just returned from the fire lines Wednesday night.