Earlier this week, Queensland’s fire and emergency services reminded drone pilots to stay away from an active wildfire in Kooralbyn, Queensland. The agency took to social media to spread the message as best it can.
The fire looks to have started back on October 12 with residents told to stay informed and be prepared to leave if things get worse.
The next day residents were told to leave as the fire and emergency services began preparing its air tanker to dump fire retardant on the fire and surrounding areas. To prevent the blaze from spreading further back burning efforts have begun around it to starve the fire of shrub to burn.
The fire has once again been downgraded to “stay informed,” allowing residents to return to their houses but must still remain vigilant.
The tweet stated that firefighting aircraft have come into the area to tackle the blaze from the air. It went onto explain how drones can have a negative impact on fire crews if used during a fire.
Drones and wildfires
Although we often see drones getting in the way of wildfire operations, they are now beginning to play an important role when used correctly. Many fire agencies are sending drones up to get a better view of the fire and the direction it’s traveling in. The aerial view also allows firefighters to see any areas that could be a starting point for a future fire.
Here in the United States, the reaper military drone has been used for the last few years to map out wildfires in California automatically with the help of AI and specially designed algorithms. The drone has been able to cut down real-time map creation times to just around 30 minutes.
If you are interested in drones stopping firefighting efforts, take a look at the posts below:
- Drone spotted above B.C. Interior wildfire causes firefighting aircraft to divert
- Drones force firefighters to halt operations in Nevada
- Don’t fly drones near fire zones – unless you’re a firefighter
- Amateur drones are interfering with firefighters in California wildfires
Photo: QldFES
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