The Aspen Fire Department of Aspen, Colorado, is preparing to utilize a new form of firefighting this summer. According to Denver7, the department is set to become the first in the country to use firefighting drones to respond to wildland fires.
Aspen is set to acquire five drones from Seneca, a Northern California startup that builds unmanned drones capable of carrying up to 100 gallons of fire-suppressing foam. Essentially a fire is spotted, coordinates are entered, and the drones are launched. From there, using artificial intelligence, the drones locate the fire’s exact location and dump the fire-suppressing foam onto the fire.
The drones are capable of accessing a fire significantly faster than any truck or manned aircraft. According to the city, the first five are being paid for through private donations, while Seneca says the five-year contract with Aspen is in the millions of dollars range. That said, it is 2-to-3% of the cost of a manned helciopter.
“It’s another tool in the toolbox that makes our communities safer, more insurable. Makes our firefighters safer. Makes our aviators safer, that’s my real hope.” – Aspen Fire Chief Jake Andersen.
Drone training is expected to begin in Aspen in the early summer, with the tech prepared for full-time use soon after that. With the brutal wildfires that hit Colorado nearly every summer, any new tech to help fight the burns is certainly welcome.
