Two DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual drones helped put out Chernobyl wildfire

On April 4th, a massive broke out in the forests around the Chernobyl exclusion zone, almost exactly 34 years after the meltdown of reactor four in April 1986. A fleet of 10 unmanned aircraft including two DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual drones were deployed to help fight the wildfires. Insights gained from imagery helped extinguish the fire that posed a threat to local communities.

Two DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual drones helped put out Chernobyl wildfire

Hailey Peng writes for DJI Enterprise that:

The situation was critical. More than 1000 response personnel, 120 firetrucks, several helicopters and planes battled the blazes and contained the fires within 10 days1, preventing the fire from spreading to either the defunct nuclear plant or other facilities in the area.

On April 14th, the fires were completely extinguished. Background radiation in the exclusion zone remains within normal limits and is not increasing, according to the Ukrainian National Emergencies Service.

It helped us work faster, smarter. The captured [drone] data helped responsible personnel make decisions to change the direction of ground teams deployment, and even correct manned aircrafts deployment.โ€ commented Alexander Sirota, Chairman of the Public Council at the State Agency of for the Management of the Exclusion Zone.

Plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky as blazes ripped through over 40,000 hectares of the forests surrounding the exclusion zone. This was when the drones’ thermal function became critical assets for the response teams.

โ€œIt was impossible to get a visual view with such dense smoke, but we needed to get on top of the situation, clear and fast. We had 2 Mavic 2 Enterprise Duals. The thermal cameras gave my team the eyes to see through the smoke.โ€ said Sirota, adding that the compact drone with dual sensors (visual and thermal) could be almost instantly flown in the air when taken out of the box.

โ€œDrones are the must-have tool to fight wildfires, and thermal imagery is especially important.โ€ he commented, โ€œWe’ve used drones to monitor wildfires for years, and after working with M2ED and seeing the thermal, it seemed that I was blind for the whole time before.โ€

You can read the entire article here or click here to read more stories about drones being used for good.

Two Dji Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual Drones Helped Put Out Chernobyl Wildfire 1

Photo: courtesy of DJI


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Haye Kesteloo
Haye Kesteloo

Haye Kesteloo is a leading drone industry expert and Editor in Chief of DroneXL.co and EVXL.co, where he covers drone technology, industry developments, and electric mobility trends. With over nine years of specialized coverage in unmanned aerial systems, his insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, and cited by The Brookings Institute, Foreign Policy, Politico and others.

Before founding DroneXL.co, Kesteloo built his expertise at DroneDJ. He currently co-hosts the PiXL Drone Show on YouTube and podcast platforms, sharing industry insights with a global audience. His reporting has influenced policy discussions and been referenced in federal documents, establishing him as an authoritative voice in drone technology and regulation. He can be reached at haye @ dronexl.co or @hayekesteloo.

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