BC's Night Watch: How 24/7 Firefighting is Rewriting the Rules

PORT ALBERNI, BC – June 24, 2026 – As the sun sets over British Columbia, the fight against wildfires no longer has to pause. A Sikorsky S-61 helitanker, its cockpit bathed in the green glow of night vision, has already begun its 101-day contract, dropping thousands of litres of water on active fires while most of the province sleeps. This deployment, part of a partnership between the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) and Coulson Aviation Canada, is more than a technological novelty; it represents a fundamental shift in the financial and strategic calculus of modern disaster resilience.

For decades, the rhythm of aerial firefighting has been dictated by the sun. Crews fought hard from dawn until dusk, only to watch helplessly as fires grew unchecked in the darkness. Now, by leveraging specialized aircraft and elite crews, BC is making a calculated investment: trading the high, unpredictable costs of runaway megafires for the fixed, manageable expense of a 24/7, technologically-enabled defense.

The Economics of Nightfall

The financial case for fighting fire with finance—and technology—is brutally clear. In 2023 alone, insured losses from BC wildfires topped $720 million. The ecological and economic damage is far greater. A provincial analysis estimated that the 2024 fire season burned through merchantable timber valued at up to $1.93 billion. This doesn't even account for the cascading costs to tourism, public health from smoke inhalation, and disruptions to essential industries.

Against this backdrop of escalating financial and environmental catastrophe, the investment in night aerial suppression seems less like an expense and more like a critical insurance policy. By extending the operational window, fire managers can attack new ignitions before they explode into campaign fires. They can capitalize on the cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and calmer winds of the night—conditions an official with another leading agency called a “game-changer” for suppression efforts. When a fire is less active, every drop of water is more effective, allowing crews to gain containment and potentially shrink the overall duration and cost of the incident.

This strategy is moving from theory to practice. During the recent Sandy Fire in California, which burned over 2,000 acres in May 2026, Coulson aircraft operating under a similar 24/7 model delivered over 641,000 gallons of water. Critically, approximately one-third of that suppression activity occurred at night, a testament to the model's impact. For BC, replicating this success means a chance to bend the cost curve of wildfire management downwards.

From Sundown to Sunrise: The Operational Advantage

The capability deployed in the skies over Kamloops is the result of years of painstaking innovation. The Sikorsky S-61 is a heavy-lift Type 1 helitanker, a workhorse of the industry, but this one is different. It’s equipped with a 4,000-litre belly tank, foam injection systems, and hover-fill technology for rapid turnaround. Its most crucial feature, however, is the full integration of Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVIS).

BCWS has been methodically building this capability. After trials began in 2019, the service officially integrated NVIS operations in 2024, flying 45 missions. That number ballooned to 260 missions in 2025. This year, the fleet of NVIS-capable helicopters has grown to five, supported by 12 specially trained BCWS NVIS Flight Officers (NFOs). These NFOs act as the eyes in the sky, coordinating the attack from a separate helicopter, guiding the tanker pilots through darkness and smoke to ensure each 4,000-litre drop is precise and effective.

“Night aerial firefighting requires more than adding night vision technology to an aircraft,” said Britton Coulson, President and COO of Coulson Aviation. “It requires the right aircraft, experienced crews, proven procedures, and years of operational discipline.”

This discipline is paramount. Operating a heavy aircraft at low altitude, near a raging fire, in mountainous terrain, at night, is one of the most demanding missions in aviation. It requires a seamless fusion of human expertise and technological superiority.

Securing the Grid, Protecting the Future

This new era of 24/7 wildfire suppression is ultimately about securing the province's future. Wildfires are a direct threat to the critical infrastructure that forms the backbone of a modern economy: power transmission lines, communication towers, transportation corridors, and energy facilities. The longer a fire burns, the higher the probability of a catastrophic infrastructure failure with province-wide consequences.

By enabling a continuous, proactive defense, BC is enhancing its systemic resilience. It is a recognition that in a world of increasing climate volatility, energy and infrastructure security are not just technical concerns—they are the foundation of economic stability and competitive advantage. The ability to contain a threat like wildfire before it cripples a region is a powerful signal to investors, insurers, and residents alike.

The green glow from the cockpit of the S-61 over BC is therefore a symbol of a larger strategic illumination. It signifies a move away from a reactive, defensive posture and toward an era of proactive resilience, where technology and strategic investment are deployed to protect what matters most, day and night.