Drones vie for role in wildfire fight

K-MAX helicopters (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
This year was a near-record fire season for Alaska and the entire Western U.S. In the Lower 48, aircraft fighting fires were repeatedly grounded when gawkers flying their own drones were spotted in the skies. They’re a danger when they intrude on the airspace, but unmanned aircraft can also be an asset in firefighting and efforts are underway to bring more pilotless aircraft to the fight.
In Idaho last week, Lockheed Martin, the Int