Pilots encouraged to help spot fires in Oregon

Col. Paul Ehrhardt with the Benton County Oregon Sheriff’s Office Air Search and Rescue department is requesting that pilots who are flying in the state look for and report fire starts.

“This will go a long way in getting fires spotted and stopped before they grow too big to stop,” Ehrhardt wrote to AOPA.

Pilots can look for fire starts during takeoff, en route, and during landing, and report the location of fires to air traffic control.

While flying in areas that could be affected by wildfires, pilots should check notams for temporary flight restrictions as well as flight conditions that could be restricted by smoke.