When a photographer donated two drones to Cal Fire’s San Benito-Monterey Unit in 2021, the act of generosity launched a drone program that would break records and save lives. A team of Cal Fire drone pilots uses specialized technology to conduct prescribed burns, search for missing or injured individuals and keep emergency responders safe.

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The first pair of drones came without any guarantee that a drone program would get off the ground, figuratively or literally. “We didn’t know what to do with them. We didn’t even know how to take off,” says Cal Fire San Benito-Monterey Battalion Chief Josh Silveira. Today, Cal Fire San Benito-Monterey has the largest unmanned aircraft systems program of its kind in the state, in both number of pilots and flight hours. The 12 pilots in

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