An up-close look at the LAFD firefighting drones and how they help

The Los Angeles Fire Department provided an up-close look at how it's deploying drones in firefighting operations.

During the Skirball Fire, the unmanned aircraft were used to assess the damage to homes.

LAFD currently has a fleet of 12 drones, but officials are hoping to grow that number so there's enough equipment to cover all the regions.

The drones of different sizes have cameras attached that feedback live video to the Incident Commander on the ground.

That allows for quick decisions on how best to fight the fire.

Commanders can see where the fire is burning, the location of hot spots and decide if they need more firefighters.

Officials envision more future applications for the drones such as hazmat situations, swift water, and stranded hiker rescues.