Peat fires are among the most complex and dangerous types of emergencies in Ukraine. Unlike open fires, they are hidden in nature, spread underground, can last for weeks, and pose a simultaneous threat to the environment, populated areas, and the safety of rescue service personnel. Limited visibility of combustion processes significantly complicates the assessment of the fire’s scale and the making of operational decisions.
In response to these challenges, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine has begun implementing unmanned technologies as a tool for operational aerial reconnaissance and decision support during the suppression of peat fires.
One of the first practical examples of this approach was the cooperation between the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, DroneUA, and scientific institutions in the Chernihiv region. In particular, in the village of Danivka, Kozelets district, aerial monitoring of peat fires was conducted using an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with thermal imaging equipment and a high-resolution video camera.
The key challenge was the transition from fragmented information to a systemic, data-driven approach that enables:
· seeing the real scale of the fire;
· detecting hidden combustion hotspots;
· reducing risks to people;
· improving the efficiency of resource use.
In this project, DroneUA acted as a system integrator of the unmanned solution, combining:
· the aerial platform;
· thermal and optical sensors;
· data collection and interpretation methodologies;
· interaction between rescue units and scientific institutions.
The goal of the integration was not only to perform aerial surveying, but to create a practical real-time decision-support tool for State Emergency Service units, minimizing human involvement and thereby reducing risks to life.
Other project participants included:
· staff of the Scientific Center for Aerospace Research of the Earth;
· representatives of the Research Institute of Civil Defense;
The project provided for:
· operational reconnaissance of large peatland areas;
· detection of underground smoldering hotspots;
· comparison of ground-based and aerial thermal imaging measurement methods;
· provision of objective data to rescuers for priority fire suppression.
Methodology
The project involved the parallel use of:
· ground-based thermal imaging in the long-wave infrared range;
· aerial thermal and optical imaging using UAVs.
This made it possible to compare the effectiveness of the methods and form an objective picture of the condition of the peatlands.
Phased implementation process
1. Technology selection
To accomplish the tasks, a DroneUA unmanned platform was used, equipped with:
· a thermal imaging camera to detect hidden smoldering hotspots;
· a high-resolution video camera for visual monitoring.
The technology allowed operation in conditions of limited visibility and data collection without direct access to hazardous zones.
2. Aerial and ground thermal imaging
Within the scope of the work, parallel temperature measurements were carried out:
· using ground-based thermal imaging in the long-wave infrared range;
· using an unmanned aerial vehicle.
This approach made it possible to compare the accuracy and effectiveness of both methods under real fire conditions.
3. Detection of ignition hotspots
During aerial monitoring, the following were achieved:
· identification of underground fire hotspots;
· recording of surface temperature ranges from 55 to 200 °C;
· reconnaissance conducted over a total area of 70 hectares.
The resulting thermal maps made it possible to identify areas that appeared localized externally but in fact remained active.
4. Support for State Emergency Service units
Based on aerial reconnaissance data, experts in real time:
· indicated to fire service personnel the areas where suppression should be carried out first;
· formed an objective picture of the total peatland fire area;
· helped adjust fire suppression tactics.
Impact for emergency response services
The use of unmanned technologies in this scenario delivered measurable benefits:
- Safety — a significant reduction in the need for rescuers to remain in high-risk zones.
- Speed — reduced time required to detect hidden smoldering hotspots.
- Accuracy — objective assessment of temperature and the true scale of the fire.
- Efficiency — concentration of equipment and human resources on critical areas.
- Situational control — a complete picture of the fire over a large area in near real time.
Conclusion
The case of using drones during peat fires demonstrated that unmanned technologies are not an experimental tool, but a full-fledged element of emergency response infrastructure.
In this scenario, drones do not replace the work of rescuers, but enhance it—providing speed, accuracy, and safety where the cost of error is measured in human lives and large-scale environmental losses.
Systematic integration of aerial reconnaissance, thermal imaging data, and analytics forms the basis for a new fire response model in which decisions are made based on data rather than assumptions.
Reference information on project participants:
DroneUA is an international group of companies specializing in the integration of comprehensive unmanned technologies, robotics, data analytics, and engineering solutions in the sectors of security, infrastructure, energy, and the agro-industrial complex.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) is the central executive authority responsible for implementing state policy in the field of civil protection, emergency response, and mitigation of emergency consequences.
Ukrainian Research Institute of Civil Defense is a scientific institution engaged in research activities in the areas of civil protection, fire safety, and technogenic safety.
The Scientific Center for Aerospace Research of the Earth is an independent organization affiliated with the Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, engaged in the collection and interpretation of Earth remote sensing data, processing of aerospace imagery, and preparation of geoinformation products.
