Firefighting drones in the works as wildfires plague US nearly year-round

Firefighting drones equipped with water and fire retardant tanks are undergoing real-world testing in California and Alaska. On Monday, Ars Technica reported that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection recently tested five autonomous drones that deployed between 500 and 1,000 gallons of fire-suppressing foam on July 15th. While these drones can't replace large airtankers for massive wildfire response, companies like Seneca are developing them as rapid-response tools to catch small fires before they spread—increasingly critical as climate change transforms wildfire season into a nearly year-round threat across much of the United States. Seneca's drones are expected to be commercially available starting in 2026.

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