Colorado to use night-vision helicopters to fight wildfires

LONGMONT, Colo. (KDVR) — With a busy fireplace season already underway, Colorado firefighters are getting ready so as to add one other merchandise to their toolbox: night-vision-equipped helicopters.

Vince Welbaum is the state’s Aviation Unit chief and confirmed these particulars on Tuesday. Welbaum stated two state-owned helicopters at the moment are outfitted with night-vision goggles — a expertise referred to as NVG — and the state’s new FireHawk helicopter arriving later this 12 months shall be outfitted as effectively. 

“We’ve been coaching to fly at night time with our one helicopter for the final three years, and now we each have them arrange with NVG,” Welbaum stated. “We’re hoping we are able to transfer ahead with that on the helicopter facet this 12 months.”

It comes lower than a 12 months after an air tanker pilot was killed preventing a wildfire at night time outdoors of Estes Park. That firm, CO Fireplace Aviation, was on a first-of-its-kind mission preventing fires at night time in Colorado with a fixed-wing plane.

These operations have since been halted statewide.

“We’re not happening that path, with the fixed-wing, simply but,” Welbuam stated.

Welbaum stated helicopters supply extra management, however he careworn they may solely be used when situations are proper for security.

“If it’s simply on the market on a forest that’s simply going to burn bushes, there’s no want so as to add that extra threat for flying at night time,” he stated.

The Colorado Division of Fireplace Prevention and Management stated night time operations will solely happen in sure conditions the place properties are threatened or if persons are in peril.

Officers say they used night-vision firefighting with a helicopter on one fireplace in 2021 and had success.

“It’s actually sort of a novel state of affairs for night time flying,” Welbaum stated. “It’s acquired to be the best situations.”