An unmanned aircraft system, or drone, is flown as a tactical resource on a wildfire for the first time in the Cibola National Forest, NM. Capable of providing reconnaissance photos, relaying radio transmissions, or taking weather readings, drones have the potential to be a game changer in how wildfires are fought.
A helicopter carrying a plastic sphere dispenser (PSD) is used to ignite interior patches of unburned fuel in a controlled fashion without risk to firefighters on the ground.
A helicopter hovers in the smoke above the Lava Mountain Fire, providing critical "eyes in the sky" to the firefighters below.
