Marine Corps Base Strengthens Wildfire Response With Drones

The Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Fire and Emergency Services Division is using small unmanned aircraft systems to provide incident commanders with timely aerial information during installation fire and emergency response operations. 

FESD began its small UAS program in 2024, incorporating drone technology into wildfire response and other emergency operations. The systems provide visual and thermal imaging capabilities that help responders assess fire conditions, identify potential hazards and support decisions on where to place personnel and resources.

Douglas Ackley, FESD firefighter, said the capability helps crews in critical ways. 

“The primary benefit is reducing exposure during reconnaissance,” he said. “A drone can provide information about a hazardous or difficult-to-access area before personnel are committed solely to determine what is happening there.” 

During an active wildfire response, small UAS crews provide observations on visible fire boundaries, developing spot fires, heat concentrations and fire activity near roads, structures and other areas of concern. Repeated aerial observations help incident commanders monitor changing conditions, determine whether fire is approaching established decision points or crossing control lines and identify areas requiring further assessment.  

Thermal imaging also helps responders locate residual heat during cleanup operations, while aerial observation provides a broader view of how a fire relates to surrounding terrain, infrastructure and response efforts. This information supports ground teams by reducing uncertainty and helping leaders make more informed decisions as conditions change. 

“The goal is to provide information that supports a decision, not simply collect video,” Ackley said. “An incident commander may need to know whether fire has reached a particular road, whether a separate area is burning, or which section needs closer attention.” 

The small UAS team works in support of the incident commander’s objectives, turning command questions into focused scene assessment tasks and reporting observations through established emergency response communications. The capability supplements, rather than replaces, ground observations and established firefighter safety procedures. 

Graham Hopkins, base small UAS specialist and program manager, emphasized that FESD intends to increase its drone capabilities for future operations. 

In addition to wildfire response, the capability may support future emergency-response missions, including missing-person searches, hazardous materials reconnaissance, storm-damage assessments and pre-incident surveys of buildings and access routes. 

“The long-term value is building an aerial response capability that can adapt as emergency response needs and technology change,” Hopkins said. “It gives fire and emergency services another tool to assess conditions, manage risk and coordinate an effective response when it matters most.”