Lancashire Fire and Rescue test Windracers’ drones for wildfire prevention

The Lancashire team worked in collaboration with Windracers, a Southampton-based manufacturer of self-flying cargo aircraft, and AI and robotics scientists based at the Universities of Bristol and Sheffield.

They developed technology for autonomously detecting and suppressing fires before they spread into uncontrollable wildfires, which have become more frequent, large, and severe in the UK.

“The earlier we reach fires, the less harm they pose to firefighters, communities, infrastructure and the environment,” Justin Johnston, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s chief fire officer, said in a statement.

The Windracer ULTRA self-flying cargo aircraft, which have also been used to carry parcels to the Orkney Islands and collect scientific data in Antarctica, are able to carry 100kg of fire retardant.

According to the company, the drones can also fly autonomously in a search pattern to monitor danger areas over the summer months, with a swarm of drones potentially covering areas the size of Greece.