Used To Check Out Roof Of A Burning Building

The New York Fire Department used a drone to give firefighters a better view of what was going on on the roof of a burning building Monday.

The New York Daily News reports that the fire broke out Monday evening in a six-story apartment building in the Bronx. It quickly spread through four floors of the building.

Deputy Assistant Chief Dan Donoghue said that as the roof started to fail, they deployed the $85,000 drone equipped with HD and infrared cameras to help them assess what the situation was on the roof. "We had a lot of great radio reports, but that’s only verbal. So with the drone we actually had a good visual picture, so it really helped us to make decisions to help put this fire out and keep our guys safe," he said.

The tethered drone can fly as high as 200 feet, according to the report. The fire department has been training with the aircraft for several months, but this was the first time it has been used during an active fire, according to officials.

(Image from FDNY Twitter)

FMI: www.nyc.gov/fdn