SAN JOSE, Calif. — One year ago, wildfires in Los Angeles resulted in historic destruction and death. But in the war on wildfires, there are now some unlikely soldiers on the front lines… students from Valley Christian High School in San Jose.
“Wildfires have just been a constant force in my life, like growing up in California,” said Senior Olivia Ahn.
“I also remember, like, in the hill adjacent to my house, I saw like flames over the horizon, and I’m just like, I feel totally helpless, and it just seems wrong sending people into the fire to put it out,” said Senior Jacob Moses.
Firefighters work tirelessly to protect life and property, but they need help. So, these resourceful students are leveraging drones.
“These towers that we’re standing in front of has already detected the fire,” said Daniel Kim, Vice President of STEM at Valley Christian Schools. “Once it detects a fire, it sends the coordinates to the drone and says, Hey, there’s a fire in this location, the drone will actually get to the coordinate. And once it’s adjusted, it’s gonna release its payload.”
The group just made it to the semifinals of the $11 million XPrize competition.
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