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20 June 2025
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Technology: Heavy duty water bombing drones able to lift 400 kilos are being tested in Canadian forest fire conditions
Heavy-duty drones, known as Thunder Wasp drones, are being tested in British Columbia to aid wildfire firefighting efforts. Fireswarm Solutions and the Strategic Natural Resource Group aim to make these drones "fire-ready" with AI swarm algorithms and heavy-lift capabilities, enabling them to carry up to 400 kilograms each and fly for two hours. Unlike helicopters, these drones can operate at night when fires intensify and traditional aircraft cannot fly, the CBC reports.
The lifting capacity is 400 kilograms and the drones can fly for two hours. Three Thunder Wasp drones combined can together lift 1 200 kilograms. According to the BC Wildfire Service, a medium-sized helicopter can lift 1 100 to 1 600 kilograms.
Hoping to be operational in 2026
The testing in Squamish Valley is supported by the BC Wildfire Service, which is observing the drones' performance as they autonomously bucket and drop water on targeted areas. The collaboration hopes to have these drones approved and operational by the 2026 wildfire season, addressing an unmet need in wildfire response technology.
The Strategic Natural Resource Group, an emergency response management firm, has been instrumental in this effort, leveraging its long-standing relationship with the BC Wildfire Service to innovate emergency response methods.
The BC Wildfire Service said these specific Thunder Wasp drones are not being used for wildfire response anywhere else in the world.
Source: CBC News
The lifting capacity is 400 kilograms and the drones can fly for two hours. Three Thunder Wasp drones combined can together lift 1 200 kilograms. According to the BC Wildfire Service, a medium-sized helicopter can lift 1 100 to 1 600 kilograms.
Hoping to be operational in 2026
The testing in Squamish Valley is supported by the BC Wildfire Service, which is observing the drones' performance as they autonomously bucket and drop water on targeted areas. The collaboration hopes to have these drones approved and operational by the 2026 wildfire season, addressing an unmet need in wildfire response technology.
The Strategic Natural Resource Group, an emergency response management firm, has been instrumental in this effort, leveraging its long-standing relationship with the BC Wildfire Service to innovate emergency response methods.
The BC Wildfire Service said these specific Thunder Wasp drones are not being used for wildfire response anywhere else in the world.
Source: CBC News