In August 2023, after a dry, gusty spell created by conflicting weather conditions, wildfires broke out on the island of Maui. By August 8, the first emergency declaration was announced, with a statewide emergency declaration being called the following day. On the 10th, President Biden issued a federal major disaster declaration due to the wildfires that continued to consume Maui’s northwest coast. Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green called the 2023 wildfires the worst natural disaster in the state’s history. The fires destroyed nearly 3,000 structures, more than 2,000 acres of land, and claimed more than 100 lives, making it the second most lethal fire in the United States.

As the season progressed, Hawaii faced another change in weather, bringing heavier rainfall than the state had seen in years. The rainfall helped ensure that the fires were all put out and restored vegetation regrowth. While the state rejoiced in the slow return to normalcy, officials knew that such conditions would provide excellent fodder for new wildfires once the dry season returned in the summer. This year, the Maui Fire Department (MFD) prepared themselves with new technology—drones—to tackle any wildfires.

On Wednesday, July 10, 2024, a wildfire broke out on the slopes of Haleakalā, an active shield volcano that makes up 75% of Maui’s landmass, along Crater Road. Officials quickly stepped in to begin containment measures. By the following week, the MFD lifted some of the evacuation declarations as the fire had been 80% contained. However, MFD Chief Brad Ventura cautioned people to remain vigilant, as the situation could quickly change with windy conditions.

Chief Ventura also mentioned that the MFD had been training with their new drone program for the exact situation the island was now facing. After seeing the success the Maui Police Department had found using drones for investigating traffic incidents, the MFD began their own drone program in the spring of 2023. The MFD purchased four drones, ranging in price from $6,000 to $10,000. They trained nine firefighters who now all have the required Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 license to operate the drones. Unfortunately, the department was not fully prepared to utilize the drones during the 2023 fire, but they were more than ready for the 2024 season.

Over the last year, MFD spokesman Chris Stankis estimated that the department was using the drones several times a month. “A lot of it depends on,” he said “do we have areas that we can’t easily put eyes on? Or do we have like a large area that’s just impractical for someone to walk the perimeter of because it’s going to take them an extended period of time, whereas it could be overflown with the drone in a matter of minutes?” For the Crater Road Fire, the MFD relied heavily on their drones for situational awareness.

While they couldn’t fly the drones on the 8th because of wind conditions, they used them nearly every night to look for thermal hotspots. “This fire is not visible from the road or from one particular point you can’t see the whole fire,” said Chief Ventura. “So at night when our resources were lower and they were on foot, we’d use the drone to fly around to provide situational awareness, because if there was a flare-up, that might have triggered some action on our part or notifications to the community. So the drones are there all night to fly and keep an eye on the fire.” He went on to explain that the images collected by the drones were then combined with a map to help firefighters develop detailed plans of action.

Some of these plans included sending firefighters in on foot to manually turn over and put out hotspots where it was safe. Other tactics involved having a helicopter know the exact coordinates for water dumping. Mr. Stankis said that having the drones made a world of difference in the department’s ability to get the fire under control rapidly, a sentiment that Chief Ventura agrees with. However, Chief Ventura sees that there is still room for improvement, hoping that one day there will be a way to utilize drones and helicopters in tandem. “As of right now, we fly either aircraft or drones, but not at the same time,” Chief Ventura said. “But we have to get to a point, eventually, where we can fly both of them together because they provide different information, from, you know, for command.” With the help of drones, the MFD was able to contain the Crater Road Fire, one that could have easily gotten out of hand. Though the fire destroyed more than 570 acres of land, Chief Ventura is grateful that new technology prevented further destruction.

Previous Drone News: