A Parksville-area helicopter company is off to fight forest fires at night in Alberta, which will be a Canadian first.
Ascent has experience doing search and rescue and air ambulance operations at night, but this will be the first night-time firefighting contract, he added. Ascent’s purpose-built tanks on the bottom of their helicopters, combined with night vision use will bolster forest fire fighting efforts by allowing crews to “action” a blaze throughout the night, Lemke said.