Insitu, the Boeing subsidiary that makes unmanned aircraft systems, is helping emergency responders in Washington State as they work to tame wildfires that have spread across the Pacific Northwest, destroying and threatening thousands of homes.
The company recently flew its ScanEagle surveillance drone over the Paradise Fire in Washington’s Olympic National Park, according to a news release. It was equipped with specialized cameras to pinpoint the fire’s perimeter and identify areas of intense heat. It also helped direct traditional helicopters where to drop water.
A video the company released shows the drone hovering far above other emergency aircraft, where it can stay for hours and beam down valuable information. The drone flew six operations, collecting more than 37 hours of infrared video. This comes as the latest sign of the ways drones could be used to fundamentally change the way we do things, from delivering packages in 30 minutes to saving lives in search and rescue missions.
The U.S. government has been slowly warming up to the technology, but still lags behind other countries in terms of letting companies — like Insitu — use their equipment to its full potential.