SALEM, Ore. (Sept. 26, 2020) – Aircraft are crisscrossing Oregon to help in wildfire recovery, thanks to highly trained volunteers from Civil Air Patrol.
As wildfires are being contained around Oregon, state and federal emergency leaders are seeking information on damage caused by fires that have scorched almost 1 million acres this year. Aircrews and teams on the ground are photographing key infrastructure in the fire zones, using high-resolution cameras that can produce detailed photographs.
Today – the 10th day of CAP’s wildfire response - pilots will fly over the Riverside, Beachie Creek, Archie Creek and Holiday Farm fires. Airborne photographers will submit their images to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) staff for evaluation.
Another four teams responded in vehicles from McMinnville, Wilsonville, Eugene and Medford, deployed to assess damage and take ground-level photos of facilities accessible by road.
The Oregon Wing has helped federal, state and local officials with aerial photography on many occasions. One such project was flooding in Salem, where CAP images helped city leaders determine the extent of flooding and what facilities needed repair. Oregon’s CAP volunteers also monitored highway and airport traffic during the total eclipse Aug. 21, 2017, relaying information to the state departments of transportation and aviation.
The Oregon Wing’s 290 adult volunteers vigorously train to FEMA standards each year to be ready to help in emergencies. They help in searches for missing aircraft and missing hikers as well as during natural disasters. The wing also has 247 youth members, who train in leadership, character development, physical fitness and citizenship. Many also train in emergency services to assist with ground search and rescue and detection of emergency signals emitted by aircraft in distress.
About Civil Air Patrol
Established in 1941, Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine Cessna aircraft and 1,944 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.
As a nonprofit organization, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace education using national academic standards-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. Members also serve as mentors to nearly 25,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. One of the premier public service organizations in America, CAP benefits the nation with an estimated economic impact of $209 million annually.
Often using innovative cellphone forensics and radar analysis software, CAP was credited by the AFRCC with saving 129 lives so far in fiscal 2020. CAP’s 60,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies.
Visit www.orwg.cap.gov, www.CAP.News or www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.