Conditions are ripe for a bad wildfire season in Southern Oregon, but a helicopter with night-vision capabilities will be among the weapons in the arsenal this year.
The Oregon Department of Forestry expects to sign a contract to bring the helicopter to the area this summer. Pilots will wear night-vision goggles and have other technology to help them fly at night, said Dave Larson, district forester with ODF’s southwest Oregon region.
“That’s going to be a real game-changer for us here in the valley ― being able to utilize aircraft at night with night-flying capabilities. We’re pretty excited about that,” Larson said.
Fires tend to slow down during cool, moist nighttime conditions, making efforts to snuff them out more effective.
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