335 acre wildfire believed to be started by a drone in Flagstaff, AZ.

[Mavic_Pete]

Just saw this come across my news feed.

335-acre wildfire north of Flagstaff believed to be started by drone

 

[MiniPalourde]

It seems like some parts of the story are missing. A drone doesn't simply take on fire after landing...

 

[sar104]

It seems like some parts of the story are missing. A drone doesn't simply take on fire after landing...

A drone doesn't normally catch fire on landing. But lithium batteries can, and sometimes do, ignite, especially if they are damaged, so the fact that it is not a normal event doesn't mean it can't happen.

 

[MiniPalourde]

A drone doesn't normally catch fire on landing. But lithium batteries can, and sometimes do, ignite, especially if they are damaged, so the fact that it is not a normal event doesn't mean it can't happen.

That's why I said "it seems". Nothing is sure but I do find this a bit shady.

 

[sar104]

That's why I said "it seems". Nothing is sure but I do find this a bit shady.

I don't understand why you find it "shady". If the report is correct then it's quite possible that the operator has no idea why it caught fire. Do you find all news reports shady if the news being reported is not fully understood and explained?

 

[ac0j]

I don't understand why you find it "shady". If the report is correct then it's quite possible that the operator has no idea why it caught fire. Do you find all news reports shady if the news being reported is not fully understood and explained?

I noticed that every time these stories come out and someone comments with doubt, it seems like you always have the attitude that if it is on the news it must be true..... Just an observation.
In This case, since they mention that the drone operator tried to put it out, I tend to agree that it is probably fact.

 

[sar104]

I noticed that every time these stories come out and someone comments with doubt, it seems like you always have the attitude that if it is on the news it must be true..... Just an observation.
In This case, since they mention that the drone operator tried to put it out, I tend to agree that it is probably fact.

Don't confuse my objection to the commonly displayed attitude of automatic suspicion that such reports are probably false with a belief that they are automatically correct. I'm fine with healthy skepticism, but the knee jerk reaction, displayed by so many on these forums, that any report of an incident involving a drone must be suspect/fabricated etc. is not reasonable.

In this case, as you say, it sounds most likely correct. The fire is real, and the firefighters appear to have made contact with the operator.

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5708/42491/

 

[RayOZ]

depends on the type of drone. my friend's racing drone's battery caught fire due to a short-circuit. he said it has happened a couple of times. those drones have plugs to connect and disconnect, which is subject to a lot of wear and tear at the terminals. We worked out when he connected the batteries, and then inserted the plug to a slot to hold the plugs, it wore out the insulation strip and the carbon fibre body acted as the short between +ve and -ve.

 

[lrsn]

I'd like to know what type of drone was involved.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Maybe the landing was a little "rough" i.e. crashed?

 

[AnzacJack]

It seems like some parts of the story are missing. A drone doesn't simply take on fire after landing...

I’ve seen plenty of lipo’s catch fire after a crash. I take teams to the UAV outback challenge every year for last 12 years and there is a fire nearly every year. I am talking about craft pushing the limits of technology and not your store bought variety, but lipos don’t like rough handling

 

[AnzacJack]

Maybe the landing was a little "rough" i.e. crashed?

A lot of the bigger drones have exposed batteries

 

[SouthernComfort]

I don't understand why you find it "shady". If the report is correct then it's quite possible that the operator has no idea why it caught fire. Do you find all news reports shady if the news being reported is not fully understood and explained?

These days I find almost everything up be shady!

 

[tcope]

Quick search finds better info:

Drone crashes in Arizona National Forest, starts a wildfire

The operator crashed the drone.

 

[KiloGolf7]

The story doesnt mention that USGS was doing a controled burn in that area as well

 

[sar104]

The story doesnt mention that USGS was doing a controled burn in that area as well

Do you mean the USFS? And why would that be relevant to the story anyway?

 

[KiloGolf7]

Yes thats what I ment USFS. I have a home in the area, they have been adding more areas to ban drone flights...for me it is very relevent .. drone fire and controled fire in the same ares is just to convenient but hey ...thats just my conspiracy

 

[JMF]

It's becoming to convenient to blame drones for everything, what's next, alien abduction by a drone, wall street crashes because of a drone, as George Carlin said, "It's all BS" !

 

[sar104]

Yes thats what I ment USFS. I have a home in the area, they have been adding more areas to ban drone flights...for me it is very relevent .. drone fire and controled fire in the same ares is just to convenient but hey ...thats just my conspiracy

The drone pilot apparently self-reported the fire. No need for any conspiracy theories.

 

[KiloGolf7]

The drone pilot apparently self-reported the fire. No need for any conspiracy theories.

Right wink wink ...... he sure did, yet every fire we have had that was human caused they gave some info on the person who started it except this fire, all news articles even from USFS says the same thing at the end "Forest Service officials says the incident involved a personal drone, but didn't immediately release any details about who owned it or why it crashed." but like I said this is just my conspiracy