The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Washington State had hoped to test unmanned aircraft this year to combat wildfires, but efforts to institute this new strategy have been delayed while the Federal Aviation Administration approves agencies’ requests for drones on a case-by-case basis.

The Associated Press reported that the DNR “would have been one of the first non-law enforcement agencies in the state to purchase and operate a drone.” While some federal agencies have allowed their drones to assist in fighting wildfires in California and Arizona in the past, the U.S. Forest Service is working with organizations such as the DNR to acquire drones for the state agencies’ own use.

Bob Roth, an aviation management specialist for the Forest Service, explained that he believes drones would be great tool for firefighters in the western states, as well as for researchers who study forest health. While the FAA’s process has proved a challenge, he says that it is not an “insurmountable” obstacle to agencies who are waiting for official approval to use drones.

Washington’s wildfire season began last Friday when a brush fire in Yakima County spread over 10,000 acres.