Fire departments are testing autonomous drones that fight wildfires before crews even arrive

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Forward-looking: As wildfires grow larger each year, fire departments and other organizations are seeking new tools to support firefighters' efforts. Several US departments are exploring autonomous drones, which could enable new, more flexible strategies for extinguishing smaller fires before they become more serious.

A California company recently began demonstrating a system that allows firefighters to direct autonomous drones to combat wildfires. While departments already use observation drones, deploying them to fight fires directly remains an unexplored tactic.

Unmanned drones do not have anywhere near the range or water-carrying capacity of water bomber aircraft used to combat large fires, but they could help contain potentially dangerous blazes soon after they are spotted. That crucial early phase is the focus of Seneca's next-generation UAS system.

The San Francisco company recently drew the attention of fire...

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