Drones: The New Frontline in Wildfire Detection and Combat

In recent years, areas affected by extreme wildfires globally have grown nearly sixfold. Fueled by climate change and urban expansion, these fires devastate ecosystems, displace communities, and cause billions of dollars in damage. Subsequently, the release of massive amounts of carbon dioxide has significantly worsened air quality, harming human health and quickening global warming. As traditional firefighting methods struggle to keep up with the growing intensity of wildfires, modern technology has emerged as a critical tool in preventing, detecting, and combating these disasters. One key tool often used is drones.

The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires are closely tied to human influence and climate change. Prolonged droughts dehydrate vegetation, turning the normally moisture-rich planes into dry, flammable fuel and creating the perfect conditions for wildfires to ignite. In addition, higher wind speeds and hotter temperatures speed up the spread of wildfires, making them harder to contain. These increased wind speeds can also carry wildfire smoke hundreds of miles into population centers, threatening respiratory health. Urban expansion has increased wildfire risks through human activities like unattended campfires, discarded cigarettes, and arson. These fires often burn near cities, threatening the lives of civilians.

This increase in wildfires emphasizes the importance of drones for wildfire detection and monitoring. Unlike traditional methods like manned aircraft and fire towers, drones that carry a variety of sensors offer an efficient way to monitor vast, hard-to-reach areas without risking human lives. These sensors detect and monitor wildfires, with one of the main sensors being infrared radiation ones. Infrared radiation is a type of radiation with wavelengths longer than visible light but shorter than microwaves, typically emitted as heat. Infrared sensors work by detecting the infrared radiation coming off an object, converting it to an electrical signal, and finally converting the signal into a visible image on a screen. This allows firefighters to see through heavy smoke and locate people, aiding search and rescue efforts. It also makes it possible to discover hotspots before they become visible flames, giving time for the firefighters to extinguish potential fires or prevent them from spreading to surrounding areas. 

Other sensors on drones collect meteorological data such as wind speed and direction. This data can then be fed through artificial intelligence models like those developed by NASA’s FireSense program which will use the data to better predict the spread of wildfires, helping firefighters coordinate evacuation and response strategies.

In addition to monitoring wildfires, specialized drones can also serve as first responders, putting out fires before they spread uncontrollably. They are equipped with water or fire retardant tanks that can target smaller fires or hotspots. These drones can pick up water from nearby reservoirs or be loaded with chemical fire suppressants, which interrupt combustion by removing oxygen from the environment, extinguishing wildfires. 

While manned aircraft can carry more payload than drones, drones have many advantages over traditional aircraft. Traditional airplanes and helicopters cost thousands of dollars per hour to operate. Furthermore, firefighting pilots need to fly at low altitudes in windy and smoky conditions, putting both the pilots and crews at risk. In fact, pilot deaths made up over 25 percent of all wildland firefighter deaths between 2000 and 2013. 

On the other hand, drones can operate in hazardous, smoke-filled conditions that typically pose risks to pilots and firefighters, making them highly versatile. The maneuverability of drones is especially useful in narrow canyons or densely forested regions where helicopters or planes can’t operate. Furthermore, drones are cheap and easy to maintain, with prices starting at approximately $3,000 to $5,000, making them a more cost-effective method to combat wildfires. 

Companies like Singular Aircraft are engineering larger drones that have longer flight durations and can carry thousands of gallons of water to increase the ability of drones to fight larger fires. This mitigates the drawbacks with drones manufactured in the past. In addition, researchers at the University of Bristol are developing autonomous drone swarms that can work to monitor and suppress the spread of wildfires on a large scale. These larger drones and scalable swarms could operate around the clock, continuously monitoring fire-prone areas and responding rapidly to new outbreaks, revolutionizing how we manage widespread wildfires.

The recent wildfires in Los Angeles have demonstrated the potential of drones in firefighting, with thousands having been used for wildfire monitoring and suppression. While it is not a complete solution, drones represent a critical advancement in helping us better protect communities and ecosystems from the devastating impacts of wildfires.