Department of the Interior uses UAS to fly over active wildfire

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After being granted permission by the FAA, the Department of the Interior recently used a fixed-wing UAS to fly over an active wildfire, according to KOBI5.com.

According to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), this was the first time that the FAA allowed a UAS fly over a fire, beyond the visual line of sight of the pilot.

A Department of the Interior (DOI) UAS Pilot, Technician, and Wildland Firefighter, Steven Stroud, flew the UAS in the Modoc National Forest in northeastern California over a Parker 2 Fire. The UAS flew over 19 miles and covered more than 500 acres as it flew in a pre-programmed grid pattern.

During its flight, the UAS used its high-resolution infrared camera to capture images of the ground below, and those still images were later “digitally joined together” to create a “high-resolution, three-dimensional map of the land.”

The USFS says that the 30 minute UAS flight accomplished the same goals that it would have taken a ground crew of 20 firefighters several operational periods to complete.