The use of a helicopter for forest fire surveillance and combat was successfully demonstrated before thousands of volunteer firefighters and spectators Sunday afternoon in Penn Forest Township.

Sponsored by the Carbon County and Upper Lehigh County area of the Weisser District, headed by William Righter Reabold, Jim Thorpe, forest fire inspector, the unique event attracted more than 2,000 people throughout the afternoon.

Reabold and Nevin Slusser, district forester, were greatly pleased with the program in which firefighters were oriented on the method used in filling the helicopter’s tanks to coordinate firefighting with aerial help.