An inquiry into the recent bushfires that swept through much of Eastern Australia is calling for more advanced drones and remote sensors to be used by firefighters. The inquiry also wants firefighters to have access to more data and AI to better understand the fire.

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Drones are coming in to help fight the effects from the wildfires that destroyed a large amount of land in Australia earlier this year. XAG has joined forces with the country’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELPW) and Heytesbury District Landcare Network (HDLN) to create the first post-fire drone seeding operation in Victoria, Australia.

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An early bushfire detection system is currently seeking funding to be deployed before Australia’s next bushfire season thanks to UNSW Digital Grid Futures Institute, a research group headed by Professor Joe Dong. The new system will utilize drones equipped with an array of sensors to monitor changes that could mean a bushfire is nearing.

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On the 23rd of January, reports came in of a C-130 Hercules water tanker disappearing from radar while supporting firefighters on the ground in the Australian bushfires. Fire crews on the ground later shared information of a plane going down, resulting in a fireball.

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Earlier this month, a bushfire in the Perth suburb of Baldivis, Australia, didn’t allow firefighters to take advantage of aerial support for some time due to a rogue drone being spotted close to the fire. The aerial support was forced to hold off while the drone finally made its way back to the ground.

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The bushfire seen tearing through the Perth suburb of Forrestdale earlier this week is now under control, but not without frightening locals and threatening Forrestdale Primary School. On the eastern side of Australia, bushfires have been burning for the last few weeks.

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