'A risk to firefighters': Trump's drone ban makes it harder to stop wildfires
As wildfires grow in size and frequency, more resources are needed to keep them in check. But experts say a Trump administration directive halting the purchase of new drones jeopardizes the rise of cutting-edge technology, curtailing the ability to manage wildfires and potentially putting more lives in danger.
In October 2019, the US Department of the Interior grounded its fleet of more than 800 drones and put a freeze on buying new ones due to concerns of Chinese spying. Many of the devices were used in wildfire fighting and prevention, including starting prescribed burns, a key tool in controlling wildfire. The interior department carries out more than 10,000 drone flights a year on average, according to federal documents.
This year, a shortage of drones has made it more difficult to contain fires raging across the western United States, insiders at the interior department said in an internal memo obtained by the Financial Times.
As wildfires increase in size and number, the department’s fleet of drones must “expand to meet the demand of preventative measures mandated for the reduction of wildfire via vegetation reduction”, the leaked memo, written by members of the department’s Office of Aviation Services, said.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/risk-firefighters-trumps-drone-ban-100021844.html
They need to rake the forests - Donny Dotard
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