Wildfire Stories June 21
In Spain, researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid work together with telecommunications corporation Telefonica, drone start-up Divisek Systems and drone operations company Dronitec to test the use of autonomous drones to fight wildfires. The drones to fight wildfires are part of a firefighting system that consists of a number of communication towers. Each of the towers is outfitted with a thermal camera and an autonomous drone that is stored in a special hangar.
Wildfire Stories November 30, 2018
16 drone teams mapped Paradise Camp Fire area in two days
We wrote about the Paradise Camp Fire before. In a matter of two days, 16 drone teams mapped the entire Paradise Camp Fire area. If that sounds impressive, it is because it is! Not only do you have the logistics of 16 drone teams to manage, think about the thousands and thousands of aerial photos that need to be collected, uploaded, processed, stitched and made available for the emergency responders and the general public. NBC has a great piece on this large-scale drone operation that also involved DroneDeploy and DJI. Jump in for more.
Wildfire Stories November 19, 2018
CNN reports the Camp Fire isn’t even halfway done burning. Meanwhile, drone teams are already deployed after the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA, in what is called the largest UAV disaster response effort in the history of California. As we have seen with earlier wildfires, flooding, and hurricanes, drones can help to quickly map and visualize disaster-struck areas and provide assistance during the recovery.
Wildfire Stories March 7, 2018
Authorities say that a drone crash sparked a wildfire northwest of Flagstaff, Ariz. More than 300 acres were burned before the fire was contained late Tuesday afternoon. Visibility was limited as a result of the smoke produced by the burning grasslands.
Wildfire Stories October 20, 2017
Aerial firefighting operations battling Bear Fire in Santa Cruz Mountains, were briefly suspended after a drone was seen flying in the area. The crucial firefighting operations in the Santa Cruz Mountains were stopped around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday earlier this week, as officials worked to remove a drone from the area, said Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office officials.
Wildfire Stories October 18, 2017
The FAA said on Monday, that hobbyist drones are becoming a problem in the California wildfires that continue to burn. So far at least two drone incidents have been reported in which unauthorized amateur drones were interfering with firefighters.
Earlier last week in the Santa Rosa area, where the mail was still being delivered after the fires had gone through, there was a drone incursion reported. Last Sunday Cal Fire helicopters were halted in Petaluma after a drone had been spotted.
