CAL FIRE Tests 5 Autonomous Drones Spraying Up to 1,000 Gallons of Foam
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · Jul 20
CAL FIRE Tests 5 Autonomous Drones Spraying Up to 1,000 Gallons of Foam
3 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · Jul 20
Summary
July 15 field tests had five autonomous drones work together to drop a combined 500 to 1,000 gallons of foam on fires, as CAL FIRE explored faster attack options for small blazes.
Seneca’s Argo-1 drones carry about 100 pounds of water or retardant each and, after a human uploads GPS coordinates, use onboard sensors to detect heat and line up sequential spray runs.
The aircraft average about 30 mph and only a 10-mile round trip when fully loaded, limiting them to nearby incidents and making prepositioning in fire-prone areas a key requirement.
CAL FIRE, FireWERX and XPRIZE-linked testing are evaluating whether such swarms can contain ignitions before they grow, even though the smaller drones cannot replace large airtankers on major remote wildfires.
Seneca plans to make the drones commercially available starting in 2026, as agencies look for tools suited to a wildfire season that is becoming nearly year-round in much of the U.S.
Facing complex FAA hurdles, can firefighting drone swarms get certified in time to combat increasingly destructive wildfire seasons?
As wildfires grow more extreme, can small drone swarms actually outpace the flames, or is this a technological mismatch?
Beyond fighting flames, will the billion-dollar drone market actually reduce the soaring cost of home insurance in wildfire zones?
Supercharging Wildfire Defense: CAL FIRE’s Deployment of Autonomous Drones and Helicopters in 2026
Overview
California is facing a growing wildfire crisis, with fire seasons now lasting all year and becoming more dangerous. To address this, CAL FIRE is leading efforts to use advanced autonomous technology for faster, safer, and more precise fire suppression. Their goal is to stop small fires before they become major disasters. CAL FIRE has a strong history of advancing wildfire intelligence, including early work on systems like FireSat, which became a global tool. By combining new technology with proven firefighting strategies, CAL FIRE aims to protect communities and support firefighters on the front lines.