Near center of this image is the "Control
Tower" serving to make sense of seven helicopters landing and
departing the site.
The observatory buried behind water tankers
and fire trucks. One truck was from the U.S. Virgin Isles. Some of
the personnel were loaned from as far as Minnesota.
Images of helicopters:
Left is one leaving the site. The rainbow in this case was not from
ice crystals, but particulate.
This helicopter is taking a water bucket to be filled from the
American River in a nearby gully.
This is one of the larger double prop helicopters departing with
another water bucket to be filled.
In July 200? one of California's 100 + fires was
only 14 miles from Nightwatch. One nice option to having a closed
airport adjacent to the observatory, who's primary function is to serve
as a fire fighters bivouac, is having a fire department next door. As
the pictures were being taken this day by associates Bud and Tom, the
fire had consumed approximately 19,000 acres.
