The first time drones were used to combat Californian wildfires was in 2013. From August-November, 2013, Air Force drones were flown over Californian wild fires. The camera-mounted drones enabled firefighters on the ground to properly direct their effort towards eliminating the threat. The drone flights provided firefighters with unprecedented real time images of the inferno. In 2013, it took three days for the Air Force to approve the use of drones to fight wildfires, however, once they were introduced, the images they produced were vital to the salvage efforts.

California Wine Country Wildfires
The massive wildfires in California this October made Defense Secretary Jim Mattis quickly approve the use of Air Force drones as part of the effort to put out the fires. Both the Defense Secretary and the Federal Aviation Administration authorized the use of Air Force drones in response to the wildfires. The drones were immediately deployed for a twenty-four hour operations and they have played a remarkable role in combating the wildfires. The drones were operated by the 163rd Attack Wing of the Air Force. The operation of the drone required the highest level of team effort which was displayed by the 163rd Attack Wing. Moreover, there was an impressive turn around time from notification to launch, a development which displayed the level of preparedness of the command.

Once airborne, the drones also responded to new mission objectives. The drones were able to provide geo-location coordinates of both fire-ravaged and unscathed structure to the Federal Emergency Management Agency which allowed the agency to make proper damage assessments which are important to the agency’s ability to carefully plan the funding and allocation of resources for disaster recovery efforts. The drones allowed firefighters to know the perimeter of the fire as well as the speed at which it was spreading.

There is no doubt that the future of firefighting would rely primarily on the use of drones. Drones are capable of providing visuals and map of wildfires without any human life being endangered. Moreover, drones equipped with infrared cameras can easily see through flames and transmit information to firefighters on the ground. The fact that drones can navigate over many terrains especially areas where it may be difficult for helicopters to reach justifies the assertion that the future of firefighting would rely primarily on drone technology. Furthermore, in situations whereby fire destroys key communication infrastructure, drones can hover over such areas, providing mobile and internet signals to firefighters’ communication equipment.

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