Along the foothills of the Big Belt Mountains near York, Montana, it’s unusual to see bare ground above 5,000 feet in February. But this winter’s low snowpack in the Northern Rockies created a rare chance to conduct prescribed burns.

Prescribed burning is a planned fire used to make forests and grasslands healthier. Fire managers wait for the right conditions like weather and fuel conditions before they conduct a prescribed fire. They check weather patterns, such as wind, humidity, and temperature, and wait for the best window to begin a prescribed fire. They use tools like drip torches and drones to safely light small, controlled flames. This type of fire helps clear old plants, reduce the chance of big wildfires, and supports new growth. With the low snowpack, the Forest Service seized the opportunity, using drones to ignite fires in areas that are hard to reach on foot.

These drones carry a dispenser that drops thousands of tiny plastic spheres used to create ignition points on a prescribed burn. Each sphere is filled with potassium permanganate. Just before a ball is released, the dispenser injects it with ethylene glycol, triggering a chemical reaction that causes the ball to ignite on the ground. Using this tool, firefighters can create thousands of precisely placed ignition points across large areas, including rugged terrain that is difficult to reach on foot.

During the prescribed fire, the firing boss, aerial ignition remote pilot, and holding boss stay in constant communication. The drone has a 20-minute flight time and supports a 30-person crew working across the 700-acre project area. It returns every 15 minutes for a fresh battery and a reload of ignition spheres, while operators record flights, charge equipment, and coordinate with prescribed fire managers.

Uncrewed aircraft systems, or UAS, are opening new possibilities for fire operations. “One of the most exciting aspects of UAS is seeing the possibilities that are around the corner,” said Nate Harrison, a UAS management specialist. “The technology has grown leaps and bounds since the program's inception and it's only going to continue. With that comes complexities that we are going to have to navigate, as both a fire management organization and an aviation organization.”

In 2025, the Forest Service conducted more than 60 wildland and prescribed fire missions and 22 natural-resource missions in the Northern Rockies. Drone ignitions added 6,401 acres of prescribed fire that year. With more than 1,500 flights and nearly 500 flight hours logged, the region has already completed 4,200 acres of drone-supported prescribed fire in the first four months of 2026. Fire management leaders say the program now functions as an integral part of the fuels work, directly supporting national priorities to reduce wildfire risk.

Supporting these missions is Operations Specialist TJ Stender. “UAS is also a tool to increase efficiencies in operations, monitoring, scouting line, and time. Not to mention financial efficiencies,” he explained.

Drone technology has shown significant benefits for completing prescribed burns, improving forest health and reducing operational time. The small flying craft enables aerial night operations and improves safety by providing critical infrared information used to track and suppress wildfires. Using drones for aerial ignition improves safety for firefighters, sparing them miles of steep terrain saddled with heavy gear and exposure to rolling rocks, falling trees or risky helicopter flights.

“Removing the human factor in traditional manned aircraft also increases safety in ways that we can't really measure,” explained Stender.

Across the nation, the Forest Service is expanding prescribed fire capacity, contributing to record‑setting acres treated and supporting wildland fire missions. Nationwide, agency pilots logged approximately 758 hours on aerial ignition missions and more than 1,400 hours collecting imagery and video. Drone ignitions treated 134,381 acres.

At the foothills of the Big Belt Mountains, the day’s ignitions stretched into late afternoon as fire crews lit strips along the prepared blackened perimeter and the drone worked across the interior of the project area. Winter sunsets come early, closing the burn window, but tomorrow’s weather is forecast to be a carbon copy of today’s. Another chance to finish treating the remaining acres and reduce risk for nearby communities like Jimtown, York, Helena Valley and Canyon Ferry.

Timing, weather, fuels, topography and preparation all converge in operations like this. Increasingly, the precision and extended capabilities of drones help tie all these elements together. For professional fuels and fire managers who study fire year-round, the growing use of drones reflects a commitment to stewarding public lands with tools that expand what’s possible. By placing fire when and where it’s needed, drones help shape a healthier, more fire-ready future where technological innovation and land stewardship work together.

Not all drones are helpful

While specialized Forest Service drones are helpful, unauthorized personal and commercial drones have become an ever-increasing risk to firefighters and the communities and forests they work to protect.

We ask the public to please refrain from flying personal and commercial drones in near wildfires. This is restricted airspace. Flying a drone in restricted airspace around wildfires is a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison and a civil penalty of up to $20,000.

Let’s keep our fire crews safe. Learn more about how a record number of consumer drones are keeping firefighters grounded.