Drones find hidden fire burning under Scottish mountains

Do you know fire can hide? A wildfire burned across the Cairngorms mountains in Scotland in July. The flames were huge and scary. But here is the interesting part: after the big flames stopped, fire continued to burn. It burned underground.

Where is the fire? That is a hard question. Firefighters cannot see under the ground easily. So they found a new tool. They use drones now. These drones have special cameras. The cameras see heat under the earth. The drones fly over the burned area. They look for hot spots. Hot spots show where fire still burns below the surface.

This technology is new and smart. The camera sees heat that human eyes cannot see. It takes pictures of the ground. The pictures show red and orange colors where it is hot. Firefighters look at these pictures. Then they know where to dig. They dig down and pour water on the hot spots. This stops the fire from spreading.

Why is this important? Underground fire is dangerous. It can burn for weeks or months. It can suddenly come back and burn again above the ground. The fire can spread to trees and grass that people thought were safe. So finding it fast is very important.

The Cairngorms is a special place in Scotland. Many people love it. Many animals live there. Keeping this area safe is a job that never ends. Now, with these smart drones, firefighters have better help. They can find danger before it becomes a big problem.

Do you think this drone technology could help in other places too? What other problems could drones with heat cameras solve?

Inspired by reporting from BBC News.