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As the prevalence of wildfires has increased over the last two decades, the value of early detection and engagement has also increased. Fire services have begun implementing Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in their wildfire responses. However, more research must be done on the benefits and limitations of current UAV operations in firefighting. In this work, we analyse the results of questionnaires from those involved in firefighting and a focus group with firefighters on their opinions on the usefulness of UAVs in wildfire responses. We consider how they are used and the potential future value they could offer if used in larger numbers. We gather opinions on the use of drones in current firefighting operations before describing a potential multi-drone system, then explore how such a multi-drone system would be used and the changes to current operations and organisational structures required to implement them.
McConville et al. (2024) studied this question.