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County says new landfill camera system helped spot and limit a Friday night fire
Summary
Cowlitz County public services director Mike Moss told commissioners that a Pano camera alert at about 9 p.m. Friday detected smoke in the landfill, prompting Cal Trans District 6 and county crews to respond and extinguish a small blaze before it reached timberline.
Mike Moss, Cowlitz County public services director, said county cameras alerted staff and partner agencies to smoke at the landfill at about 9:00 p.m. on Friday, allowing responders to zoom in on the live feed, confirm the location and dispatch resources before the fire spread.
"It was a great tool for us," Moss said, describing how a water truck with a cannon-style nozzle — used alongside Cal Trans District 6 tenders — helped extinguish the blaze. He said he arrived about 9:25 p.m. and found only smoldering material; three landfill staff and Cal Trans personnel were on site.
Moss told the board the county pays $40,000 a year under a five-year contract for the Pano camera service, and that the system routinely generates alerts from valley smoke and backyard fires. He contrasted this incident with a larger 2024 landfill fire that cost roughly $150,000 and said the cameras likely prevented a much larger event by enabling early response.
Board members and staff discussed after-hours monitoring, key-box access for DNR and Cal OES District 6, and plans to buy a trailer-mounted thermal imaging unit to provide additional real-time alerts and monitoring.
The county did not report any injuries. Moss said the camera feeds are shared at no cost with community partners, including the regional emergency operations center and 911, which helps coordinate responses across agencies.
