11 April 2019
Victoria’s night firebombing trial in 2018-19 has been an exciting milestone in the state’s firefighting capability.
The approval phase, in early 2018 demonstrated how helicopters could work at night to hover-fill and ground-fill, before dropping water on controlled fires.
The success of the initial trial showed how night vision technology could help better protect Victorian communities in the future.
Over the 2018-19 summer season, Victoria’s two helicopters were deployed to 13 fires over 20 nights, the first being at Rosedale in January.
Gain an insight into the journey of night operations by watching the video below.
The department acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.