Firefighting drones in the works as wildfires plague US nearly year-round
Drones capable of spraying water and fire retardants have been practicing how to snuff out wildfires early in California and Alaska this summer—demonstrating a possible rapid-response tool for firefighting as climate change transforms wildfire season into a nearly year-round risk for much of the United States. Most drones are significantly smaller than crewed aircraft and have shorter flight ranges, meaning they cannot replace large airtankers in delivering massive payloads of water or other fir
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Firefighting drones capable of spraying water and fire retardants are being tested in California and Alaska as a rapid-response tool to stop wildfires before they spread. These drones are significantly smaller than crewed aircraft with shorter flight ranges, so they cannot replace large airtankers but could help firefighting crews respond more quickly to small fires. An $11 million competition and field tests by fire agencies are evaluating whether drone systems can effectively suppress fires early, as climate change is making wildfire season nearly year-round across much of the United States. One early customer has already committed to a multi-million dollar contract to deploy firefighting drones, though large fire agencies have not yet adopted the technology.
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