Drones can be equipped with infrared cameras that peer through smoke

Drone technology to tackle forest fires

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) - of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht - have announced plans to manage the risk of wildfires through drone technology. The NPWS will work with Coillte, Ireland’s largest commercial forestry company to combat the spread of wildfires.

This pilot is the first of its kind, and will initially be rolled out in the Dublin Mountains. If the pilot initiative is successful both NPWS and Coillte will look to roll out this technology in other areas.


 

Over recent years, many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant environmental and economic damage.


 

Pat Neville, Coillte Communications Manager, said:We are delighted to join with the NPWS on their initiative to tackle the growing risk of forest fires. Utilising this technology will allow drones to become our eyes in the skies, and enable our teams to spot the earliest moment a fire starts, helping to save not only the environment but most importantly people’s lives. Last year Coillte tackled over 150 forest fires with the largest and most dangerous of these incidents occurring in the Slieve Blooms in Laois and Offaly. In 2018, over 600 hectares of the Coillte estate was damaged by forest fires and it cost the State over €4 million to manage. Coillte manages the state’s investment in timber and these are the trees that build homes and businesses so their loss is also a significant economic impact.”

 

Drones can be equipped with infrared cameras that peer through smoke, as well as sensors for wind direction and other weather variables that affect how fires spread. They will capture continuous footage of areas deem as high-risk and spot small fires that otherwise could not have been detected until they had become much larger and harder to contain. With the Forest Fire weather warning still in place, we ask people to remain vigilant and report any fires they see to the local fire brigade.
 

The NPWS and Coillte recommend the following steps to prevent forest fires at this time

 

For more information, please visit www.coillte.ie / www.npws.ie