The City of Mission is set to buy a $75,000 firefighting drone .
On June 17, council unanimously approved the purchase of a 2024 DJI Matrice 350 RTK Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drone), and associated sensors with funds coming from the Forestry Capital Reserve.
According to a staff report, the drone will be able to map the perimeter of a wildfire and identify underground hotspots with its thermal camera.
“This allows fire crews to quickly target hotspots during fire mop up activities that can not be seen with the naked eye, significantly reducing the risk of wildfire spread,” the report reads.
With long-term trends suggesting an increased wildfire risk in the future, the staff report underlined the need for a drone. Wildfires occurred in the Mission Municipal Forest in 2022 and 2023 and staff said a drone would have been helpful during last year’s Hunter Hill wildfire.
“During mop up activities of the Hunter wildfire, fire crews had to use the presence of smoke to identify hotspots and then had to spend time locating the hotspots on the ground, in steep rocky conditions,” the report reads.
The report states that the previous method is inefficient, challenging, and carries an element of risk, as wildfire can spread quickly from the ground to a full-blown wildfire.
“The ability to see hotspots before they can be detected with the naked eye offers the ability to address these risks in a timely and efficient manner,” the report reads.
Mission Fire Rescue Service fire inspector Nathan Unger and forestry director Chris Gruenwald answered council questions about the drone.
Unger says the drones can help the department assess fire intensity, growth and direction, allowing for efficient allocation of resources. It could also assist with rescue efforts as well, Unger said.
The funding also includes training for six individuals. Once training is complete, the drone could be available in the field.
