VIDEO: Students at Fullerton Collegeโs Drone Lab are taking their drone skills beyond the classroom, helping scan wildfire burn scars that could pose new risks of floods and landslides.
Itโs a huge task students are taking on that allows them to give back to their community said Jay Seidel, director of the Fullerton Drone Lab technology program.
โOrange County Fire Authority came in and we just kind of went, ‘Oh, itโs a no-brainer,’ especially with what happened with the Palisades and Eaton fires. It just really opened a lot of eyes on the importance of fire and fire mitigation,โ Seidel said.
He explained that the project is a collaboration with the Orange County Fire Authority.
โWe can create these accurate 3D models so the fire organizations can then get more accurate measurements on and understand what theyโre doing. They can allocate different resources. They know what area needs to be cleared. They know where the trouble spots might be,โ Seidel said.
Given the area they are mapping from the Airport Fire is already burned, he said the data also helps identify areas that have been structurally compromised and are at risk of potential landslide activity.
