Wildfires Rage in the Western United States

California Air National guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing perform precision water bucket drops
Some fires are so big, firefighters need airplanes and helicopters to help extinguish them.

Did you notice how hot this summer has been? All around the globe, countries have reported record highs. There are a few causes of the heat, including warm ocean temperatures, increasing global temperatures, and bad weather.

Sadly, the heatwave has caused some negative effects. Wildfires have ripped through the western United States. California has seen some of the worst.

At the end of August, California had reported over 5700 fires. One of these fires has become the worst in California’s history. It began burning on July 27th, and is still burning. Fortunately, firefighters have it almost entirely extinguished [put out].

Officials have been looking for ways to prevent big fires from happening. One idea is to use drones [unmanned flying crafts]. A drone could fight fires when it’s too unsafe for humans. They can also fly where airplanes and helicopters can’t.

What do you think? Is it a good idea to use drones to fight fires?

Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ed Drew