BY YI SHU NG From Mashable

That’s got to be the most metal way to clean a power line.

Chinese companies have engineered an alarming-looking way of eliminating trash hanging on power lines — by torching them with flame-throwing drones:

That’s right.

People are reporting seeing these drones burning off items such as kites or balloons tangled in the wires, that are too far for staff to reach.

According to QQ, the flames can reach 400 degrees Celsius (752 degrees F).

The process of setting up, lighting up the flamethrower, and burning the trash takes only 15 minutes, according to the Voice of Xiangyang, a local radio station.

Using drones would reduce the risk of being electrocuted by high-voltage lines, and can save time compared with sending personnel up to retrieve the debris.

Although igniting a power wire looks like a major safety hazard, the utility maintenance team said that flame-throwing drone wouldn’t pose a risk to the wires, as they were made out of aluminium-coated steel.

“The flames occur spontaneously, and most of the things that hang upon power lines are usually plastic,” said Zhang Han, a team member in charge of utilities maintenance in Xiangyang. “They usually burn immediately after, so there is no damage.”

Utilities maintenance personnel have experimented with drones since 2010, according to the Xiangyang Evening Daily, which reported on the drones’ fiery debut last year.

Power companies in other states such as Sichuan, Anshun and Hangzhou have similarly deployed these flame-throwing drones too.

IMAGES:

VOICE OF XIANCYANG/WECHAT

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