Summary Reader Essay Draft 1

 Summary:

The article “Drones Take Their Place on the Cutting Edge of Wildfire Fighting” (Patterson, 2021) states that “Lifesaving backpack technology as sophisticated as this isn’t available to firefighters. But it could be soon, as engineers work to take firefighting drones to new heights.”. Ideally, firefighters should be able to fully manage and control wildfires. However, “summer wildfire seasons are getting longer and more devastating.”, and it increases severe wildfires. Drones should take place in controlling wildfire as it will save a lot of resources.

 

Firstly, Patterson mentions that drones have been developed to locate a fire's hot spots and collect important data from wildfire areas. Patterson also explains that the KHawk drone is designed to fly autonomously with ground control while transmitting weather and fire data, including forecasts of where the flames will spread next. Ideally, firefighters would receive an early alert if they were in danger, and they would be able to plan their next move based on the data from drones. Hence, the drone will help the firefighter to work more efficiently with essential data.

 

Secondly, Patterson states that Firefighters are using drones to employ an intentional ignition approach to burn vegetation that might generate fuel for wildfires. Commercial drone platforms outfitted with payload system IGNIS carry a basket filled with ignition spheres. These spheres are used to set up controlled burns. It is safer to use a drone to start the ignition than a firefighter since the drone has supporting features such as “cameras, high-temperature sensors, autonomous capability, and a remote emergency release system.”. Therefore, using drones for intentional ignition will be easier and safer for firefighters.

 

Lastly, drones will save many resources for other purposes. Without drones, the firefighter will use a helicopter for intentional ignition. Patterson mentions that it is more costly and dangerous as long as a human is engaged. For example, 5 years ago, one of the single-engine helicopters crashed on the land due to engine failure during aerial ignition in Mississippi, and the pilots were severely injured. The reason for engine failure was the damage to the engine due to continuous colliding with trees. However, drones will be controlled by autopilot which means no human engagement and thus multiple drones can be used together to save time and perform well. Hence, the helicopter can be used for other purposes like transporting people, water drops and other tasks.

 

However, the drone has a limited battery to perform continuously. Drones have various features to fight wildfires such as GPS, thermal camera and autopilot system. Also, the wildfire is a quite long operation to be monitored and controlled. The drones’ battery will run out very fast since the small drone design will have a small battery. The pilot of drones will have to charge the battery frequently unless there are multiple drones to replace one. It might result in a delay in the controlling process. The delay of transmitting data to firefighters might put them in danger due to not receiving data of immediate situation. Therefore, the drone's battery should be last longer to perform without any delay.

 

In conclusion, drones can support firefighters with various systems that can transmit data and operate intentional ignition. Also, it can replace helicopter for the necessary missions so that resources can be used for other missions. However, the battery of drones might cause a slight delay in wildfire operations. I think that using drones to fight a wildfire is very efficient and firefighters should use them frequently as the drone industry is growing drastically.

 

 

Reference: Patterson, T. (2021, October 7). Drones Take Their Place on the Cutting Edge of Wildfire Fighting: Modern Flying. Flying Mag. https://www.flyingmag.com/drones-wildfire-fighting/


 

 

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