New drones to fight forest fires

The forestry department on Monday signed an agreement for the provision of drones that will make a crucial addition to strengthen its existing fire management system.

The agreement was signed between the department and the CARE-C Centre of Excellence (CoE) for the period 2022 to 2025.

“The use of drones is expected to make a crucial contribution towards further strengthening the existing forest fire management system implemented by the forestry department,” the relevant press release said.

It added that the drones will be used in all forest areas, with the aim to detect fires or any malicious acts early.

The contract also provides for the use of drones at operational level, namely as decision-making tools in extinguishing ongoing forest fires since they provide the possibility of real-time image transmission, even at night. They will also be used to map burnt areas faster, after the fire has been put out.