How firefighting drones assist with wildfires, urban fires and industrial blazes

The year 2025 began with wildfires in California. Due to strong winds, large-scale forest fires engulfed Los Angeles, with flames spreading over an area exceeding 1,300 hectares. City authorities declared a state of emergency, and approximately 130,000 people received evacuation orders.

The fires are being suppressed using ground firefighting crews, helicopters, and aircraft dropping water and fire-extinguishing compounds. Additionally, fire suppression drones are being deployed in certain areas for situation monitoring, team effort coordination, and search and rescue operations.

In fact, fire departments worldwide are already actively utilizing drone technology in fire safety. In this article, we will examine in detail the applications of firefighting drones during fires, case studies of their deployment in aerial firefighting, advantages, and technical specifications of UAVs for firefighting.

What we will discuss in this article:

Firefighting drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that facilitate rapid fire response and provide a safe method for combating flames. They withstand high temperatures and are equipped with thermal cameras and sensors that detect and record infrared radiation.

Fire suppression drones assist firefighters in identifying fire hotspots, tracking fire spread, and assessing flame intensity even in conditions of poor visibility or at night.

Research by the National Fire Protection Association indicates that the deployment of drones in disaster aftermath mitigation can enhance situational awareness and reduce the time required for damage assessment.
UAVs for firefighting are used worldwide: in the USA, Australia, Canada, and China. In the United States, for example, more than 900 state and local agencies associated with emergency services utilize drones.

Let's examine the primary ways drones are utilized in firefighting.

1.Situation analysis
Firefighting drones provide a quick and safe way to assess the scale of a disaster. Equipped with high-resolution cameras, these UAVs transmit real-time, clear images of the situation. This enables operation commanders to make more informed decisions based on up-to-date data.

Advantages: rapid information acquisition, access to hard-to-reach areas, reduced risk for personnel during reconnaissance.

2.Team coordination
A fire department drone program helps efficiently manage resources at the incident site. From a bird's-eye view, UAV operators can guide firefighting units, indicating optimal routes and equipment deployment locations.

Advantages: improved tactical planning, enhanced firefighter safety, optimized resource utilization.

3.Thermal imaging monitoring
Thermal imaging drones for fire are equipped with infrared cameras capable of detecting fire hotspots even through smoke. This allows for tracking fire spread and identifying hidden heat sources.

Advantages: early detection of new fire outbreaks, monitoring firefighting effectiveness, ability to operate in low-visibility conditions.

4.Search and rescue operations
Emergency response drones are invaluable in locating victims and providing assistance. Equipped with thermal imagers and powerful searchlights, they can detect people in smoke-filled zones and hard-to-reach places.

Advantages: accelerated victim search, reduced risk for rescue personnel, ability to deliver first aid supplies.

5.Damage assessment
After fire containment, drone-based fire mapping helps quickly and accurately assess the damage. This is particularly important for insurance companies and for planning restoration work.

Advantages: detailed photo and video documentation, creation of 3D models of affected areas, expedited damage assessment and documentation process.

Learn more about how drones assist emergency services in post-incident operations →

6.Mapping and planning
Fire risk assessment drones are used to create detailed terrain maps before and after a fire. This aids in planning fire prevention measures and analyzing landscape changes.

Advantages: updating maps of fire-prone areas, planning preventive measures, monitoring ecosystem recovery after fires.

7.Infrastructure monitoring
Drones can be employed to monitor the condition of firefighting infrastructure such as hydrants and water reservoirs, further enhancing overall fire safety preparedness.

Advantages: regular inspection of fire fighting equipment, timely identification of problems, improvement of general fire fighting readiness.

Let us examine how drones assist in extinguishing various types of fires – including wildland, urban, and industrial conflagrations.

Combating wildland fires presents numerous challenges:

• Complex terrain often impedes access for ground firefighting crews,
• Rapidly changing weather conditions can swiftly alter fire behavior and spread,
• Smoke and darkness limit visibility,
• Firefighter operations in remote areas are extremely hazardous.

Moreover, wildland fires annually inflict irreparable damage to ecosystems and economies while claiming human lives. The fires in California have already caused damage comparable to Bolivia's GDP. Incidentally, Bolivia was also ravaged by wildland fires last year. Experts there documented 40,000 ignition points and over 10 million hectares of burned natural areas. In 746 settlements, 12,000 families were affected. The fire destroyed pastures, severely impacting local agriculture and income sources.

From a 4,000-hectare fire area, emissions amount to approximately 730,000 tons of CO2. Such global consequences compel fire services worldwide to seek new, more effective, and technologically advanced means of fire suppression.

The integration of drones into wildland firefighting systems offers several key advantages:

1.Rapid data collection. Drones can gather crucial information faster than traditional helicopter surveys, expediting response times.

2.Enhanced inter-team communication. Aerial imagery provides a clear situational overview, improving coordination between ground and aerial teams.

3.Informed decision-making. Aerial data enables fire service commanders to make more informed decisions, ultimately reducing risks for both firefighters and civilians.

4.Cost-effectiveness. Utilizing drones is less expensive than manned aircraft, allowing for more frequent and extensive monitoring. Today, drone implementation costs equivalent to a single helicopter flight, making drones significantly more economical.

5.Safety. By enabling real-time situation tracking, drones help firefighters avoid unnecessarily dangerous situations.

Urban firefighting presents a unique set of challenges distinct from wildland fire suppression. Narrow streets and high-rise buildings restrict access for firefighting apparatus, while fire can rapidly spread between closely situated structures. The risk of structural collapse is significant. Moreover, the population density in major urban centers increases the potential for human casualties. The use of drones helps to maintain public safety even in such difficult conditions.

UAVs help mitigate these challenges by providing:

• Rapid aerial assessment of fire hotspots.
• Access to hazardous areas.
• Situational awareness for effective resource allocation.
• Real-time data transmission for incident management.
• Thermal imaging for fire detection and personnel localization.
• Monitoring of hazardous material spills or gas leaks.

Countries worldwide are already utilizing unmanned technologies for urban firefighting. For instance, in Lebanon, following the catastrophic port explosion in Beirut in August 2020, UAVs played a crucial role in damage assessment and recovery planning.

The New York City Fire Department has been employing UAVs since 2017. Drones provide aerial imagery that assists firefighters in identifying fire sources and assessing structural integrity. In Tokyo, UAVs equipped with thermal imaging cameras are used to navigate through dense smoke and locate victims in burning buildings.

Specialized UAVs are equipped with advanced technologies. The fire suppression drone-in-a-box solution by Microavia features an automatic battery replacement system for minimal ground time, resilience to extreme air temperatures, AI capabilities, and high-resolution cameras, making it ideal for complex urban environments.

Despite the evident advantages, it's important to note that UAV operations in urban areas are subject to strict regulations. In many countries, emergency services require special permissions to operate UAVs in populated areas, particularly during emergency situations. While the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles into urban firefighting systems presents certain challenges, it represents a significant advancement in emergency response capabilities.

The integration of UAVs into industrial firefighting strategies significantly enhances emergency response capabilities. Such fires can occur in various settings, including chemical plants, oil refineries, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. In these environments, complex infrastructure (large-scale equipment and multi-level structures) is compounded by the presence of combustible substances and gases that exacerbate the fire and impact the surrounding environment.

Learn how UAVs are used at fire-prone sites in the oil and gas industry →

How UAVs assist in combating industrial fires:

• Rapid situation assessment. Drones can access even the most hazardous areas – smoke-filled workshops or chemical storage facilities. Personnel cannot quickly inspect such spaces without specialized protective equipment, while UAVs allow for time-efficient reconnaissance without exposing firefighters to risk.
• Fire and smoke propagation monitoring. Real-time aerial imaging aids in predicting fire development and tracking smoke dispersion, which is crucial for evacuation planning.
• Hazardous material detection. Specialized sensors can identify chemical leaks or gas emissions, guiding containment efforts.

Drones for industrial firefighting must possess two key characteristics – thermal resistance and autonomy. Therefore, Microavia's UAVs can operate in proximity to zones with temperatures up to +60°C, while the automatic battery replacement capability ensures uninterrupted operation with minimal ground time.

The practice of utilizing UAVs at production and industrial sites is gaining momentum. As early as 2020, during an oil well fire in Colorado, a UAV was deployed to assess the situation from a safety perspective and provide incident commanders with feedback on the effectiveness of the operational plan.

Let's look at an example of a fire-fighting drone from Microavia:

Autonomous system and rapid deployment
The Microavia UAV is an autonomous robotic system. It does not require an operator for functionality. Battery replacement is performed automatically, enabling 24/7 operation, with manual control capability as an option. The UAV can be rapidly deployed, which is crucial in fire situations where every minute counts.

Extended range and prolonged flight time
The Microavia drone is consistently prepared for a 45-minute continuous flight. Automatic battery replacement takes only 90 seconds, facilitating extended operations even over large-scale fires.

All-weather operations
Thermal resistance is a critical feature for UAV application during fires. Our UAVs have been field-tested in real conditions at temperatures ranging from -25°C to +60°C.

Infrared and thermal sensors
It has been demonstrated that drones equipped with infrared and thermal sensors enhance detection accuracy across various environmental conditions, which is crucial for effective surveillance and risk assessment. Upon request, drones can be outfitted with specialized fire detection sensors, such as those for gas detection.

Powerful long-range detection

• 30x optical zoom camera: enables long-distance detection and visual confirmation of objects with high clarity.
• Long-focus thermal imaging camera: monitor thermal signatures and identify potential threats or equipment malfunctions even in poor visibility due to smoke.
• Infrared cameras capture thermal signatures, allowing detection of hotspots and hidden fires through smoke, aiding in situation assessment and fire suppression planning.
• RTK technology enables precise fire location determination, reducing response time. Early detection and rapid response increase the chances of successful fire suppression.

Learn more about Drone-in-a-Box system with automatic battery replacement →

Real-time data transmission and analytics
The capability to transmit and analyze data in real-time allows for immediate identification of critical hotspots and swift response to changing situations. Data can be automatically relayed to crisis management systems, ensuring up-to-date fire information and optimizing the suppression process. This feature transforms UAV monitoring from periodic events into continuous surveillance, enhancing overall operational efficiency and safety.

The combination of these technologies with traditional observation methods provides a comprehensive situational overview, improves firefighting tactics, and reduces risks to emergency responders.

To maximize the effectiveness of drone programs, they should be integrated with existing crisis management systems. This will ensure a more coordinated and efficient response.

Let's consider the recommendations for drone implementation from Microavia expert Isaev Artem Regional Sales Manager to enhance interaction between rescue teams and technological systems.

• Data Integration. Ensure seamless incorporation of drone data into existing crisis management systems and GIS.
• Workflow Integration. Include drone usage in standard fire monitoring and response procedures.
• Reporting Systems. Develop standardized reports that combine drone data with other fire and response information.
• Inter-agency Collaboration. Foster cooperation between drone teams, firefighting crews, and management services to effectively utilize the acquired data.

Proper integration maximizes efficiency by improving current processes without creating parallel systems.

1.Drones significantly enhance firefighting efficiency by providing rapid situation assessment, improved team coordination, and safe inspection of hazardous areas.
2.Drone implementation is cost-effective: the investment is comparable to a single helicopter flight, while drones offer more frequent and extensive monitoring capabilities.
3.Thermal imaging cameras and infrared sensors on drones enable fire hotspot detection even in poor visibility conditions, which is critical for early detection and rapid response.
4.Integration of AI and machine learning into drone systems improves fire detection accuracy, optimizes flight routes, and enhances risk prediction.
5.Drones are effective in various scenarios: from wildland fires to urban and industrial blazes, adapting to the unique challenges of each situation.
6.The autonomy and rapid deployment of modern drones by Microavia ensure continuous 24/7 monitoring with minimal downtime.
7.For maximum effectiveness, drone programs should be integrated with existing crisis management systems, ensuring a more coordinated and efficient response.