firefighting

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a self-funded nonprofit organization, has released a free online training program to help more than 29,000 fire departments in the US improve existing public safety drone programs and establish new drone initiatives.

Against the growing number and increased destruction of wildfires across the planet over the last several years, it’s become more frequent to hear reports of UAV assisting firefighters in the battle to put them out. Now the Australian state of Victoria is using drones to light fires as well.

Between the Dixie, Caldor, McCash, and Windy fires, Northern California has been witnessing a busy wildfire season. And this time, the firefighters on the ground are being shadowed by a crew from NASA. Their aim? To watch and learn how drones help to battle the blazes from above.

In response to a court order issued by Federal Probation Judge William Alsup, utility company PG&E had denied any knowledge of drone operations near the origin of the Dixie Fire – the second-largest recorded wildfire in California’s history. However, the court is now questioning PG&E’s claims, indicating that the company might know something about the drone after all.

Dixie Fire, which first ignited around July 13, is now considered the second-largest recorded wildfire in California’s history. It has so far burned close to 490,000 acres and is only 21% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, aka Cal Fire. This has prompted a judge to order an investigation into a drone that appeared over the blaze on the day of ignition, forcing Cal Fire to end air operations prematurely.

Wildfires continue raging across the western regions of the US and Canada – accompanied by reminders from authorities to drone enthusiasts to steer clear of all blazes. But one Canadian company believes it can assist the urgent efforts to extinguish them by doing just the opposite: flying its drones into the heat of the action to battle fires.

As destructive wildfires become more and more commonplace across the globe, the use of drones in firefighting response is also quickly gaining pace. A new fire rescue drill video by Chinese company EHang shows how drones of different capabilities can work in tandem to accelerate firefighting efforts and emergency rescues at high-rise buildings in urban areas.

The number, frequency, and severity of wildfires have increased dramatically across the world, impacting economies, ecosystems, and communities significantly. But now, new research finds that sensor data from drones and internet-of-things devices can enable early wildfire detection with over 99% accuracy.

Firefighting drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras will help West Midlands Fire Service to improve situational awareness and support effective decision-making on the ground.

We’ve seen a lot of stories this year on how useful drones are at firefighting. But in central China, a drone has been converted into a literal firefighter — a flamethrowing drone torching hornet nests.