A helicopter dumped water on the Fort Fire as the blaze threatened homes in California.

Footage shows the firefighting aircraft soaring over the rapidly spreading inferno in Kern County on June 5. It made 49 critical water drops, buying time for ground forces to secure fire lines and contain the flames.

Authorities said the Fort Fire broke out at 11:30 pm local time on Wednesday in Lebec. It grew to 220 acres before being fully extinguished on Thursday afternoon.

Kern County Fire Captain Andrew Freeborn said: 'We've seen a 180 in this fire behaviour. Last night, it was growing rapidly. Today, it's sat down and we're able to be really aggressive with it.'

Jeremy Ruiz, fire department spokesman, said wildfires in the area, which is near the highway, were common.

He said: 'The highways are a big cause, whether it's a cigarette or chains dragging or a vehicle accident, there's a lot of things that can happen that can cause a fire.'

Local officials said evacuation warning for residents in Digier Canyon and Lebec have been lifted.