Firefighters in California said they have a special weapon in their battle against a massive wildfire, an unmanned military Predator drone similar to those used in Afghanistan.
Authorities said they are using the unmanned aircraft to provide information on any new fires they would otherwise not be able to see. The U.S. Forest Service said the so-called Rim Fire has swelled to about 780 square kilometers.
More than 4,500 firefighters are battling the massive blaze, which has consumed about 78,000 hectares of land, including part of Yosemite National Park. The U.S. Forest Service said firefighters have contained about 30 percent of the Rim Fire and expect to fully contain it by September 20.
Their efforts have been hampered by strong winds, high temperatures and inaccessible steep terrain. . .