2014 is proving to be a historic year for wildfire activity in California and the Pacific Northwest. The National Fire Inter-Agency Center, in a report they update daily, put the combined number of fire-ravaged acres in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, to date, at over half-million. Due to the prolonged drought in California, the number of wildfires in that state alone is 123% of the state’s average – and we’re only halfway into August.
With local firefighters working round the clock and, out-of-state teams journeying cross country to join them, one has to wonder if drones and IP camera systems might be able to play an assisting role.
Adding Drones to the Mix
Last year, during the Rim Fire in California that destroyed 257,314 acres in Yosemite National Park and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains, the National Guard launched a Predator Drone to aid firefighters by using infrared sensors to detect hot spots along the fire’s perimeters or in isolated spots.
Continue reading “Can Drones Help Firefighters Contain Wildfires?”