Fire crews have been fighting the Gifford Fire in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties using all of their resources and tools— one key standout being the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) drones.

“This aircraft can do aerial ignitions," said Milton Truong, an Aircraft Systems Pilot. "It flies in GPS mode, 45 mph max speed. It goes out to 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 miles of range.”

These high-tech tools are the future of firefighting for many reasons. The drones' infrared technology allows them to detect fire hotspots; they are also able to fly through smoke and at night.

“When there is heat on the ground or somewhere else, the camera will flash pretty brightly, and then we’ll have a temperature gauge that bounces around the screen to tell you how hot that specific heat is,“ Truong explained.

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