University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers Dirac Twidwell, left, Sebastian Elbaum and Carrick Detweiler with their unmanned aerial system for supporting prescribed fires. The micro-UAS injects a liquid into plastic spheres to start a delayed fiery process so the balls can fall to the ground before igniting. Elbaum and Detweiler are professor and assistant professor of computer science and engineering, respectively. Twidwell is an assistant professor and rangeland ecologist in UNL’s School of Natural Resources. Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communications.

How effective an unmanned drone can be in helping firefighters on wildland blazes will be tested at Homestead National Monument of America during a prescribed burn there.

The park, located in Beatrice, Nebraska, is planning to burn about 26 arcres of restored tallgrass prairie between now and mid-May. The one-day fire will include a test of a University of Nebraska-Lincoln small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS). The UNL system is a greatly scaled-down version of a manned helicopter aerial ignition device. A multidisciplinary team of UNL experts in micro-UAS technology, fire ecology, conservation and public policy is developing this unmanned aerial system for supporting prescribed and wildland fire operations.

“UAS’s in firefighting have the potential to reduce direct risk to firefighters doing ignition work while reducing costs and making an aerial resource more widely accessible to wildland firefighting efforts," said Jim Traub, the Park Service's Unmanned Aircraft System Specialist. “The National Park Service is pleased to facilitate this unique and innovative opportunity with UNL, for this test of a sUAS in a fire situation.”

Homestead National Monument of America, the NPS Midwest Region Fire and Aviation Program, and the NPS National Aviation Offices are collaborating with UNL’s Nebraska Intelligent Mobile Unmanned Systems (NIMBUS) Laboratory and the Department of Interior Office of Aviation Services (OAS) for this operational test and evaluation of the integration of sUAS into wildland fire operations. 

“Historically, fire has been a tool in the management of the prairie at Homestead National Monument of America.” said Mark Engler, Homestead's superintendent. “Today, the National Park Service conducts carefully planned prescribed fires to control woody plants, invasive species, as well as reduce thatch. Though fire is often considered to be inherently dangerous, it is a natural occurrence that holds many benefits for the native prairie grasses. We are grateful for the assistance from local firefighters, fire departments and other federal agencies on our prescribed fire. We look forward to the live test of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s sUAS.”

The 2.5 miles of trails within the monument will be temporarily closed during the prescribed fire and will reopen as soon as it is deemed safe. Travelers on State Highway 4 should use extra caution if traveling through the monument while the burn is occurring.