How thermal drones helped us tackle the Glenmore wildfire
Drones play a key role in helping our wildlife team track and monitors deer. But using them to find hotspots peaking at 401°C during a wildfire is a newer way of working.
Keep reading to discover how our teams mobilised to apply their skill sets in different ways to help the fire effort at Glenmore Forest Park.
How do drones map wildfire?
During the Glenmore fire, teams provided daily surveys using thermal drones to mark heat signatures in the ground. These flights were carried out along the firebreaks and in the same flight points to ensure each flight was consistent within the sectors.
They would then mark these locations for Scottish Fire and Rescue to help inform targeted helicopter water-bombing and on-the-ground efforts to dampen down these pockets of heat.
The drones allow this work to happen at a distance. This decreases the risk of people getting injured, reduces surveying time and has been very useful to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The data also assists the helicopters in confirming the positioning of hotspots.
This information will also help monitor the area impacted by the wildfire going forward.
What do the thermal images mean?
The hottest ground temperature marked by the drone at Glenmore was 401°C, a week after the fire started.
Usually, our deer management team use these thermal drones to locate deer populations within our forests. Thermal drone technology can also help in aiding conservation efforts for endangered species, and we have been testing its potential for locating wildcats.
Potential Wildcat - Imaging Technology | FLS
Our teams are still carrying out these drone surveys to monitor the area for hot spots.