This is the moment U.S. firefighters douse a massive fire with the help of several helicopters after a Californian landfill suddenly went up in flames.

Video footage released on December 9 shows thick plumes of smoke rising from the burning waste as emergency personnel attempted to extinguish the fire both from the ground and from the air.

The video shows several aircraft dumping huge amounts of water while flying over the Olinda Alpha Landfill, located in the settlement of Brea, in Orange County.

The Orange County Fire Authority said in a statement: 'Firefighters are on scene of a refuse fire at the Olinda Alpha Landfill in unincorporated Brea.

'There are air and ground firefighting resources in the area. Thank you for avoiding the area so firefighters can work safely.'

The Fire Authority added in a later update: 'Cause determined to be spontaneous combustion in the compost pile.'