More than two months after a massive summer wildfire scorched 3,300 hectares of the Cairngorms National Park, thermal imaging drones are hunting stubborn underground hot spots. Drone operators and conservationists are using the aerial technology to track smoldering peat and soil fires that threaten ecological recovery across the Scottish mountain range.
Tracking Subsurface Fires Across 3,300 Hectares of Cairngorms Terrain
The intense blazes that tore through the landscape in July may have vanished from the surface, but a hidden threat remains trapped beneath the blackened earth. Figures released by the Cairngorms National Park Authority show that the wildfire affected about 33 square kilometers, translating to roughly 3,300 hectares of terrain according to data from the Cairngorms National Park Authority. At the height of the crisis, five experienced drone pilots were brought together to supply aerial reconnaissance to the emergency response teams fighting the flames.
Pete Short spent nearly three months scanning the hillsides following the disaster. Describing the initial emergency operation during a dawn patrol at 06:00, Short noted that it was one of the most challenging environments he has ever flown in
, pointing to multiple walls of flame, active ground personnel, moving vehicles, and helicopters operating overhead.
How Thermal Imaging Drones Locate Hidden Peat and Soil Heat
While the surface appears settled and cooler following the major wildfire event, subsurface heat sources continue to burn within organic soil and peat layers. These underground fires consume material slowly and possess the potential to reignite or spread laterally across the region if left unaddressed. Traditional water-based suppression methods prove less effective when flames are buried beneath layers of earth, making detection difficult for ground-based inspection teams moving through hazardous terrain.
To counter this, authorities deployed cutting-edge drone systems equipped with thermal imaging capabilities to hunt for remaining hot spots providing unprecedented visibility into areas that remain too hazardous for ground crews. These specialized cameras detect infrared signatures radiating from beneath the surface. During patrols, scraping away a thin layer of earth reveals rising smoke from the smoldering ground.
Once thermal drones pinpoint a hot spot, site managers receive precise coordinates. This allows small, limited crews to direct resources where they are needed most, replacing broad searches with targeted intervention.
Early Life Returns as Forest Restoration Timeline Remains Uncertain
Although the forest floor remains heavily charred and carries the acrid smell of fire, early signs of life are breaking through the blackened soil, including green shoots, fungi, and a small yellow flower. However, the timeline for full environmental restoration is uncertain.
According to Dr. Sarah Henshall, head of conservation at the Cairngorms National Park Authority, the overall environmental consequences cannot yet be fully measured; she notes that it is still too early to determine the full ecological impact, stating that some of that will be incredibly quick, some of it will take years, decades, or even beyond our lifetime. Safeguarding water purity, shielding surviving plant life, and aiding the restoration of animal habitats relies heavily on controlling these hidden thermal pockets, as acknowledged by conservation officials.
To document this long-term transition, the drone program is taking on a new task. Operators are programming the aircraft to fly identical routes over the damaged land using predetermined waypoints. By taking pictures and recording footage from identical vantage points across successive months and years, researchers can build a comprehensive visual timeline of the healing process.
Beyond tracking recovery, the technology may also serve a preventive function against future incidents. Short believes getting a view above the tree canopy quickly could prove critical to stopping a wildfire before it gets out of hand.