No, it’s not an act of infrastructural sabotage.
These flame-throwing drones are actually trying to clear high voltage power-lines of rubbish.
The Chinese power firm behind the drastic measure said it would help ensure the power lines don’t cut out.
Peoples Daily
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People’s Daily reported that plastic bags, lantern and kites regularly threaten to cause outages as they get tangled in the wiring.
Fortunately, the lines are steel-reinforced, allowing the drone to burn off the debris, without damaging the wires.
It’s certainly a boon to engineers suffering from vertigo, who would otherwise be forced to climb up poles to free the debris.