Night-vision helicopter will tackle Southern Oregon wildfires

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.

Read more on this story at the Mail Tribune

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