MAJOR LOSS RESPONSE | DRONE MAPPING
One Disaster.
One Disaster.
More Than 19 Insurers.
One Shared Digital Record.
Following the devastating Wennington village fire, dangerous structures and restricted access prevented conventional damage assessments. Insurers, engineers and recovery teams urgently needed reliable information to begin making decisions.
Within 48 hours, one drone-generated dataset was
shared with more than 19 insurance companies,
supporting faster assessments, coordinated recovery
and earlier decisions for displaced residents.
THE PROJECT AT A GLANCE
01 / THE PROBLEM
The Challenge
A devastating village fire left dangerous structures and restricted access. More than 19 insurers, engineers and recovery organisations urgently needed reliable information to assess damage and support displaced residents.
02 / THE SOLUTION
Our Approach
Iprosurv deployed drone technology to capture the affected area, creating a comprehensive mapped dataset and interactive 3D model that stakeholders could access and review remotely.
03 / THE FINDING
The Evidence
One consistent digital record of the fire damage was shared with more than 19 insurance companies within 48 hours. The same dataset subsequently supported engineers, investigators and recovery contractors.
04 / THE VALUE
Why It Matters
A single point of truth in time enabled faster assessments, coordinated recovery planning and earlier decisions on alternative accommodation, while preserving a digital record for future reference.
03 | UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE
A major loss event where access was impossible but decisions could not wait
Following the devastating fire at Wennington, significant structural damage made the affected area unsafe to enter. Buildings were unstable, access was restricted and conventional inspections could not be undertaken safely across the site.
More than 19 insurance companies were involved in claims arising from the incident. Each required information about its insured properties, while loss adjusters, structural engineers, forensic specialists and recovery contractors needed to assess the same scene for different purposes.
Traditionally, this could have involved numerous individual inspections, separate reports and repeated site visits. With the area inaccessible, that approach was neither practical nor responsive to the urgency of the situation.
Most importantly, families had been displaced from their homes. Insurers needed sufficient information to begin making decisions about claims, alternative accommodation and the next stages of recovery. Delays in assessment could mean further uncertainty for residents.
The challenge was to establish a reliable, shared record of the affected area that multiple organisations could access without waiting for the site to become safe to enter.
From an Inaccessible Disaster Site to One Shared Digital Record
The starting point was not simply deciding which drone to deploy. Iprosurv needed to develop a method of capturing the entire affected area safely, creating a comprehensive digital record that multiple organisations could use without requiring access to dangerous structures.
By combining systematic aerial data capture using a DJI Mavic 3E, flight planning through DJI Pilot 2 and photogrammetric processing with gNext Labs, the project could produce an interactive 3D representation of the fire-damaged village.
Crucially, the approach was designed around sharing information rather than producing separate datasets for individual organisations. Insurers, loss adjusters, structural engineers and recovery contractors could all review the same digital record, using the information to support their own assessments and operational decisions.
01 / SAFE DATA CAPTURE
Document the Entire Scene
Deploy a coordinated drone survey to capture detailed imagery of damaged properties and the surrounding area, without requiring survey personnel to enter dangerous or unstable structures.
02 / DIGITAL RECONSTRUCTION
Turn Imagery into a 3D Model
Process the captured imagery into an interactive 3D mesh model, enabling remote examination of visible damage, building relationships and the wider site environment from multiple perspectives.
03 / COLLABORATIVE ACCESS
One Dataset for Every Stakeholder
Establish a shared digital record that insurers, engineers, loss adjusters, demolition contractors, forensic teams and other agencies could access for their individual assessment requirements.
The objective was not simply to create a 3D model of a disaster site. It was to establish a single, reliable point of truth in time that could support multiple organisations, accelerate recovery decisions and preserve a digital record for years to come.
OPERATIONAL DELIVERY
From Disaster Scene to Shared Digital Evidence Within 48 Hours
Speed was critical. With access restricted by dangerous structures and more than 19 insurers requiring information, Iprosurv needed to capture, process and distribute the digital record rapidly. The operation followed three key stages.
01
Capture the Affected Area
Iprosurv deployed a DJI Mavic 3E to undertake a coordinated aerial survey of the fire-damaged village. Using DJI Pilot 2, imagery was captured across the affected properties and surrounding environment, documenting the extent of visible damage without entering unstable buildings.
02
Process and Reconstruct the Digital Scene
The captured imagery was processed using gNext Labs to produce a mapped dataset and interactive 3D mesh model. This enabled stakeholders to examine the condition of properties remotely, review visible damage from different perspectives and understand the wider incident area.
03
Distribute One Dataset Across the Recovery Operation
Within 48 hours of the fire, the digital dataset was shared with more than 19 insurance companies. The same information was subsequently made available to loss adjusters, structural engineers, demolition and scaffolding contractors, forensic specialists and other recovery organisations. One capture supported multiple assessments and operational decisions.
From Reactive Assessments to Proactive Recovery
Within 48 hours of the devastating Wennington fire, a single digital dataset had been made available to more than 19 insurance companies. What would otherwise have required numerous separate inspections could now begin with one shared visual record of the affected area.
The value extended well beyond damage assessment. The information helped accelerate decisions affecting displaced residents, supported the coordination of specialist recovery teams and created a lasting digital record of the incident.
01 / SUPPORTING RESIDENTS
Quicker Decisions on Alternative Accommodation
Earlier access to reliable information enabled insurers and loss adjusters to assess visible damage and progress decisions about alternative accommodation more quickly. For families who had lost their homes, this supported a more proactive response at a time of considerable uncertainty.
02 / INSURANCE ASSESSMENT
One Shared Record Across Multiple Insurers
More than 19 insurance companies could access the same digital representation of the damaged village. This established a consistent visual reference, reduced reliance on separate initial surveys and supported more coordinated claims assessments.
03 / RECOVERY COORDINATION
Better Information for Recovery Teams
Structural engineers, demolition contractors, scaffolding companies, forensic specialists and other agencies could review the same dataset remotely. This supported safer planning, more informed decisions and improved coordination while physical access remained restricted.
04 / LONG-TERM EVIDENCE
A Digital Record That Outlives the Scene
Buildings may be demolished, debris removed and properties rebuilt, but the captured digital record preserves the visible condition of the site at that moment. Subject to appropriate retention arrangements, it can be revisited years later for claims, engineering and forensic reviews.
One Dataset.
Lasting Value.
Lasting Value.
The true outcome was not simply a 3D model of the destruction. It was the ability to turn rapidly captured data into information that multiple organisations could act upon, helping accelerate recovery, support displaced residents and preserve evidence long after the incident.
07 | WHAT THE CLIENT RECEIVED
One Digital Dataset. An Evidence Base for the Entire Recovery.
Iprosurv delivered more than a collection of aerial photographs. The project provided a coordinated digital record of the affected village, captured at a specific point in time and made accessible to the organisations responsible for assessment and recovery.
The dataset combined detailed aerial imagery with a mapped representation of the affected area and an interactive 3D mesh model. This allowed stakeholders to explore the scene remotely, review visible damage and understand the relationship between individual properties and the wider incident area.
Importantly, the same information was shared with more than 19 insurance companies within 48 hours, before being made available to engineers, loss adjusters, demolition contractors, scaffolders, forensic specialists and other recovery organisations.
Rather than every organisation commissioning its own initial visual survey, the digital record provided a consistent starting point for individual assessments and subsequent recovery planning.
The significance of this delivery was not simply the amount of data collected. It was the ability to capture the scene once and make that information useful to numerous organisations, creating a single point of truth in time that could continue to support decisions long after the physical environment had changed.
When Disaster Strikes, Waiting for Access Shouldn't Mean Waiting for Information.
The Wennington fire demonstrated how rapidly deployed drone technology can transform the response to a major loss event. One comprehensive digital dataset enabled multiple insurers and recovery organisations to begin their assessments without waiting for physical access to dangerous structures.
From supporting earlier decisions about alternative accommodation to helping engineers, contractors and forensic teams plan their next steps, the value extended far beyond the initial survey.
Iprosurv works with insurers, loss adjusters, engineering organisations and asset owners to turn complex situations into clear, actionable digital information.
Whether responding to a major incident, assessing damaged infrastructure or preparing a recovery strategy, our drone surveying, mapping and 3D modelling capabilities can help organisations make informed decisions when they matter most.