In early December, the hills surrounding one of the biggest U.S. cities were in flames. A massive wildfire was raging out of control in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. A major highway had to be shut down, schools in the area closed, and 46,000 residents were forced to evacuate.
To fight the wildfire, the Los Angeles Fire Department brought in some extra help. For the first time, it launched two drones. Firefighters on the ground steered them over the smoke-filled hills. The drones were equipped with cameras to give firefighters a clear view of the fire’s path, allowing them to go directly where they were most needed.
It wasn’t the first time drones were used during a fire. In recent years, the U.S. government has used these small, remote-controlled aircraft, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to help monitor wildfires in national parks. Plus, dozens of local fire departments now have their own UAVs.
“Drones provide firefighters with information that they previously didn’t have access to,” says Brad Koeckeritz. He is the director of the drones program for the Department of the Interior. That’s the division of the U.S. government that oversees the National Park Service.
But firefighters aren’t the only people using drones in emergency situations. These unpiloted vehicles are being used to help save lives worldwide.
In early December, the hills surrounding one of the biggest U.S. cities were in flames. A massive wildfire was raging out of control in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. A major highway had to be shut down. Schools in the area closed. And 46,000 residents were forced to evacuate.
To fight the wildfire, the Los Angeles Fire Department brought in some extra help. For the first time, it launched two drones. Firefighters on the ground steered them over the smoke-filled hills. The drones were equipped with cameras. They gave firefighters a clear view of the fire’s path. This allowed the firefighters to go directly where they were most needed.
It wasn’t the first time drones were used during a fire. Drones are also called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In recent years, the U.S. government has used these small, remote-controlled aircraft to help monitor wildfires in national parks. Plus, dozens of local fire departments now have their own UAVs.
“Drones provide firefighters with information that they previously didn’t have access to,” says Brad Koeckeritz. He is the director of the drones program for the Department of the Interior. That’s the division of the U.S. government that oversees the National Park Service.
But firefighters aren’t the only people using drones in emergency situations. These unpiloted vehicles are being used to help save lives worldwide.