Firefighting Drones Tested in California, Set for 2026 Commercialization
Ars Technica AI · rss · 2026-07-21
As climate change turns wildfire risks into a nearly year-round threat in the US, drones capable of spraying water and fire retardants are being actively tested in California and Alaska.
While their size and flight range mean they cannot replace large crewed airtankers for massive payload delivery, they are being positioned as a rapid-response tool to extinguish small fires before they spread. In July, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) conducted a field test organized with FireWERX and the company Seneca. Five autonomous drones successfully collaborated to deploy between 500 and 1,000 gallons of fire-suppressing foam. Seneca plans to make these firefighting drones commercially available starting in 2026.
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