VIDEO: Lauderhill Fire Rescue crews used a drone equipped with infrared technology to help them fight a house fire Wednesday afternoon.
“We were able to find the source of the fire in the drone. It was in the attic. It had not penetrated the roof yet,” said Captain Jerry Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said it was the first time the department used the technology to locate what he called a “hidden fire.”
The blaze broke out Wednesday around 5 p.m. at 7300 Northwest 44th Court.
A worker reportedly noticed the smoke and alerted the homeowners, who were sleeping inside.
Everyone got out safely and no injuries were reported.
The house in uninhabitable for now, Gonzalez said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The drone technology might have saved the structure from further damage.
“That is amazing right now. Just a few years ago it wouldn’t have existed, and who knows what other type of damage would have been done to the house just trying to find the source of this fire,” Gonzalez said.