A prescribed burn in Dog Valley, about 20 miles west of Reno near Verdi, marks a first for the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest: the use of drones to ignite the fire.
The operation began Tuesday and is expected to continue through the week as crews work to burn 657 acres. By Tuesday night, more than 300 acres had been burned.
The forest service used aerial ignition technology, loading drones with orange-and-white spheres known as “dragon balls.” Each ball contains potassium permanganate powder and is injected with ethylene glycol before release. When it lands on the forest floor, it triggers a chemical reaction that starts a controlled fire, explained Nathan Willger, a Region 4 UAS specialist on a video about the technology that the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Service posted on X…