Three months after a significant wildfire swept through the Cairngorms National Park, thermal drones are actively detecting hidden hotspots burning beneath the ground. Drone pilot Pete Short has been conducting these patrols since the wildfire, which started in mid-July, burned across about 3,300 hectares of land.
Despite the visible flames having disappeared, heat is still being found underground. Pete Short noted that on a recent thermal flight, eight such hotspots were identified. These findings are crucial for land managers, who dispatch teams to dig into the ground and douse the fires with water.
Ben Jones, senior site manager for the RSPB at Abernethy, highlighted the importance of knowing precise hotspot locations due to limited resources for extinguishing efforts. He stated that each hotspot has the potential to reignite a larger fire, even with the arrival of colder, wetter weather.
Beyond fire detection, drones are also being programmed to repeatedly fly the same routes over the damaged landscape. This will allow conservationists to monitor the recovery of the area over time through consistent photographic and video data.