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Have drone will travel

Lakeview Hotshots assisting with a burn operation in Alaska in 2019.On February 6, 2020 the Lakeview Interagency Hotshots posted on Instagram saying that they are “ready for RX [prescribed fire] support in the Southeast.” Currently they have prescribed fire modules deployed in the southeast, usually with eight to 10 firefighters each.The post included the hashtag #ignis2 which refers to the second generation aerial ignition module Drone Amplified is manufacturing which enables drones to conduct aerial ignition on prescribed fires or wildfires. They crew included in their post the next two photos showing a drone aerial ignition system and a drone, both disassembled and packed into cases, leading us to believe they took along a drone on their assignment to the Southeast.This year the Lakeview Hotshots have four qualified drone pilots. In 2018 their four pilots together completed over 100 missions. An aerial ignition system made by Drone Amplified posted Feb. 6, 2020 by @lakeview_hotshots on Instagram.A Matrice 600 drone made by DJI, posted Feb. 6, 2020 by @lakeview_hotshots on Instagram.Before the Lakeview IHC acquired Hotshot status in 2018 they were the Lakeview Crew 7 formed by the Bureau of Land Management and comprised almost entirely of U.S. military veterans. The crew was initially created in 2000 and reorganized in 2011 to help military veterans transition to productive civilian careers. They have been funded under the BLM Veterans Crew Program since 2012. Lakeview Hotshots photo, Alaska in 2019.Learn more about BLM career opportunities for veterans:https://www.blm.gov/careers/veterans
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Author: Bill Gabbert
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