Maine Forest Rangers Use Drones To Combat Remote Fires

Drones have become an important and handy recent addition to the toolkits of many Maine law enforcement and public safety departments.

Local police departments are beginning to utilize them to aid in locating missing individuals and reconstructing accidents.

Some Maine fire departments have been employing drones to get a better idea of the scope of situations like fires and emergencies.

And just this week, the Maine Forest Rangers used drone technology to locate a large truck that caught fire in a remote part of the state.

Truck On Fire In Remote Woods, Maine Forest Rangers

They could not quite pin down the location of the fire with GPS alone. So they utilized aerial pictures to find it.

This incident occurred on Tuesday morning in a heavily wooded area of Washington County.

"Rangers Ryan Maker and Aaron Currier responded to a report of a tractor-trailer truck on fire in a remote area of T19 MD BPP... Limited cell service made the fire difficult to find. Ranger Maker was able to locate the fire using a drone, and quick action from Rangers and firefighters stopped the fire from spreading. This is also a reminder that GPS routes are not always accurate.

We're told that while crews were able to contain the fire to one area, the truck was destroyed.

Authorities have not commented on what the truck was doing in the middle of such a remote part of the woods in the first place, nor have they commented on whether there was anyone with the vehicle, and if so, what the condition of that person is.

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