Drones detect hidden fires burning beneath Cairngorms after major wildfire

Drone pilots in Scotland's Cairngorms National Park are using thermal cameras to find fires that are still burning underground. A large wildfire destroyed around 3,300 hectares of land there in July. The visible flames are gone, but heat continues beneath the surface.

Five trained pilots flew drones during the emergency to help firefighting teams. Now the drones are scanning the ground for hidden hotspots, which are impossible to see without special equipment. When a hotspot is found, workers dig into the earth and put the fire out with water.

The drones are also photographing the same areas repeatedly so that scientists can follow how the landscape recovers over time. The technology has helped teams deal with dangers that would otherwise stay hidden.