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County says camera system helped detect small landfill fire; service costs $40,000 a year
Summary
Public Works reported a Pano camera alert detected smoke in the county landfill Friday night; county staff and Cal State 6 extinguished a smoldering fire. Director Mike Moss said the county pays about $40,000 annually for the five‑year camera service that enabled the rapid response.
Mike Moss, Cowlitz County public services director, told the Board of Commissioners that a Pano camera alert detected smoke inside the county landfill shortly after 9:00 p.m. on Friday and allowed staff to see and zoom into the scene.
"By the time I got up there, which is like 9:25, the fire was out and just smoldering," Moss said, crediting Cal State 6 and county staff for the quick response. He said a county water truck purchased last year, equipped with a nozzle that can fire a water "cannon," helped extinguish the blaze.
Moss said the county pays about $40,000 a year for the camera service under a five‑year contract. "They own the cameras, but we pay for the service. It's a 5‑year deal. We're in year one of that," he said, adding that without camera coverage the fire "would have got" much larger before being noticed because it was hidden behind the fill.
County staff noted the camera alerts are shared with partner agencies including Cal Fire, the Department of Natural Resources and the sheriff's office, which can speed multi‑agency responses to smoke and fires in valley areas.
The board did not vote on any action related to the camera contract at the meeting. Moss said the county is also buying a trailer‑mounted thermal imaging system to improve after‑hours monitoring and that authorized partners have gated access for emergency response.
