Fire departments are testing autonomous drones that fight wildfires before crews even arrive
SMRTR summary
A squadron of five autonomous drones, each carrying 100 pounds of water or fire retardant, could be airborne and attacking a wildfire within minutes of a 911 call.
That's the promise behind a system developed by Seneca, a San Francisco company that has caught the attention of fire services in California, Montana, and Utah. The drones launch from a towed platform, guided by GPS waypoints uploaded through an app, flying at around 30 mph toward blazes that could turn catastrophic if left unchecked.
The system targets that critical 10 to 15-minute window after a fire is first spotted, when quick action can prevent a small blaze from becoming a monster. One technician can refuel and recharge each drone for another run within minutes.
It's far cheaper than scrambling helicopters and can navigate steep, difficult terrain more easily than ground crews. Former US Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell has called it an inflection point, one that policy and operational standards now need to catch up with.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to TechSpot.
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