VIDEOS: Aerial wildfire response has taken a leap forward with the showcasing of new drone technology that aims to hit fires early and fast.
Fresh from its recent launch seeded by $60 million in capital raising, Seneca demonstrated its wildfire suppression drones at the Red Sky Summit in San Francisco this week, with plans to expand its reach beyond the US if successful.
Seneca is building an autonomous fire suppression system that includes autonomous suppression drones that carry 100 lbs, shoot with 100 PSI, and use AI to navigate and knock down fires, with the aim of cutting response times to under 10 minutes.
The aerial systems can be launched remotely, needing only an approximate fire location, with the intention of striking before a small fire-start becomes a large wildfire. It also has the potential to support prescribed burns and fuel reduction efforts.
The California-based companyโs mission is stated variously on its website โto protectโฆโ or โto eliminateโ the wildfire threat across 500 million acres in the US and โallied nationsโ by 2035.
