Weed and mosquito district drone battery burns

The Hill County Weed and Mosquito District drone is out of commission for the season, the district supervisor said today, after the battery caught fire Wednesday.

Terry Turner, the district supervisor, said they were out preparing to spray weeds with the drone when a malfunction caused the battery to catch fire.

Havre Fire Department responded to the 900 Block of 18th Street at 9:31 a.m. and helped extinguish the fire.

Turner said it was a new experience for everyone putting out a lithium battery. They carry sand with them, he said, but called the fire department just in case and, he added, as it turned out, they decided they needed more sand for an emergency like this and will adjust that in the future.

The drone will have to be sent to the manufacturer in Florida for repairs, Turner said, but he’s confident the cause of the malfunction and the damages — which include the battery and its immediate area plus a few rotor blades — can be fixed.

“They have to go all the way through it just like any airplane,” he said, and then the district will be back in the air next season.

In the meantime, Weed and Mosquito District employees will be out with their ground equipment until the season is over, Turner said.