Drone used to help fight brush fires in Lynn
LYNN - Lynn firefighters are getting a bird's-eye view of the large-scale brush fires in Lynn Woods Reservation. "We are looking at about 86 acres of land that's been burned or affected by this fire," Chief Stephen Archer said.
To help battle these fires more effectively on the ground, Lynn firefighters are taking to the skies via drone. "It's a new piece of technology," drone operator Lt. Denis Ring said. "It's allowing us to do things we have never done before."
Ring says the $26,000 drone helped them to see just how extensive the brush fires are spreading. "As soon as we got the drone up, within two minutes, we were able to explain to them that we actually have four different fires in four different parts of the forest," Lt. Ring said.
Using infrared technology, the drone can detect hot spots that a normal HD drone may miss.
"This has allowed us to get to areas of the woods that are much more remote, much faster, able to get a much better bird's-eye view, get over the fire line and see where the fire line is going," Lt. Ring said.
Chief Archer says while the brush fires are contained for now in Lynn, there is still a lot of smoldering that could spark more fires in the future.
"The drone has been a huge piece of equipment for us. It really helps us see the extent of what we are dealing with," Chief Archer said. "Using the infrared capability, it saved us a lot on foot power getting in and out."
His crews have been working all weekend long putting out hot spots and taking down burned trees. The rain this week is exactly what firefighters needed as you can see the ground is still smoldering and fire officials say they will need at least two or three days of significant downpours to make sure the brush fires are out.
"The rain is helpful just determining what areas still need attention, still need to be monitored," Chief Archer said.