DJI Drone Helps Save 96 Year Old Woman From Fire

A 96 year old woman is alive after a DJI Matrice 30T drone gave firefighters critical early intelligence during an apartment fire in Euless, Texas, as FOX4 News reported.

Fire crews were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 1200 block of El Camino Real around 1 a.m. Wednesday. Before engines arrived, a drone was automatically launched from a nearby fire station as part of the city’s joint police and fire drone program.

The aircraft used was a DJI Matrice 30T, a rugged public safety drone designed specifically for fire, search and rescue, and emergency response missions. Its thermal and zoom cameras immediately showed heavy fire breaking through the roof.

Based on that live aerial feed, the fire chief called for a second alarm and requested mutual aid from surrounding cities within minutes.

Thermal Vision Guides Critical Decisions

The Matrice 30T’s sensors confirmed the fire was already well advanced, removing any guesswork before crews arrived on scene.

When firefighters reached the building, a bystander reported that a woman was trapped inside. Because the drone had already shown the scale and intensity of the fire, command staff knew additional resources were already en route.

That allowed initial crews to focus on rescue without delaying for further size up.

Firefighters entered through a window and pulled the woman to safety. She was taken to a nearby hospital with a burn to her hand and is expected to recover.

The building itself was heavily damaged. Fire conditions forced crews to switch to an exterior attack, and the structure was ultimately gutted. The Red Cross is assisting residents with relocation, though the number displaced has not been confirmed.

A Purpose Built Drone Proves Its Worth

The drone program supporting the response is only a few months old. Aircraft are stationed at two fire stations and can be launched by dispatchers or trained officers.

The DJI Matrice 30T is built for this exact scenario, featuring weather resistance, thermal imaging, long range zoom, and rapid deployment capabilities that make it well suited for overnight fires and low visibility conditions.

Fire Chief Chance Bennett credited the drone footage with helping crews act faster and more decisively.

“It was a big, big help,” Bennett said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and officials have not released further details about the woman’s injuries beyond confirming she is expected to recover.

DroneXL’s Take

This incident is a textbook example of why drones like the DJI Matrice 30T exist. The aircraft did not replace firefighters, but it removed uncertainty at the most critical moment, allowing command staff to scale the response immediately and crews to prioritize a rescue that might otherwise have come too late.

As more departments adopt purpose built public safety drones tied directly into dispatch systems, outcomes like this will become less exceptional and more expected, which is a very good thing.

Photo credit: FOX 4 KDFW

Last update on 2026-01-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API