Summary Draft 1: “Drones Take Their Place on the Cutting Edge of Wildfire Fighting”

Summary:

The article “Drones Take Their Place on the Cutting Edge of Wildfire Fighting” (2021) states that “Summer wildfire seasons in North America are getting longer and more devastating.” Drones have long been used to fight wildfires. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) were first used by the US Department of Interior a decade ago to help map fires and determine their course. Recently, drones have been developed to locate a fire's hot spots and set controlled flames to minimise possible wildfire fuel. The KHawk drone is designed to fly autonomously with ground control while transmitting weather and fire data, including forecasts of where the flames will spread next. Ideally, firemen would receive an early alert if they were in danger. Firefighters are using drones to employ an intentional ignition approach to burn vegetation that might generate fuel for wildfires. Commercial drone platforms outfitted with payload system IGNIS carry a basket filled with ignition spheres. These spheres are used to set up controlled burns. Drones are also being used for reforestation. They spread new seeds in predetermined locations. Overall, as land managers examine new techniques for battling wildfires in the future decades, remotely piloted aircraft will play an increasingly essential role.

(198 words)

Reference: 

Patterson, T. (2021, October 7). Drones Take Their Place on the Cutting Edge of Wildfire Fighting. Flying Magazine: Sophisticated drones now find wildfire hot spots, ignite controlled fires, and plant seeds for reforestation. In the future, they’ll do even more. https://www.flyingmag.com/drones-wildfire-fighting/