To stop wildfires, communities in Athens' suburbs are funding their own early warning drones
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In less than a week in early August, an initial group of three people with a shared concern grew to an online community of about 320 offering donations to hire a company using long-range drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras as a sophisticated early warning system to catch wildfires before they can spread.
It’s a tried and tested system. Designed and set up with the help of Grigoris Konstantellos, a commercial airline pilot and mayor of the southern Athens seaside suburbs of Vari, Voula, and Vouliagmeni, the drones began operating there last year.
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Operated by drone pilots with advanced training to fly beyond the visual line of sight and with permission from civil aviation authorities, the drones provide live images and detect changes in temperature, alerting their handlers in the critical early stages before a fire spreads.
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"The first few minutes are the most crucial for a fire," said Giorgos Dertilis, who heads the local volunteer firefighting unit. "At the start it’s easier to put out the fire. The more the minutes go by, the harder our job becomes".
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