As the power of wildland fires increases, so too does the demand for human power to innovate larger and smarter uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) or systems (UAS) with increasing flight times and payload capacities.

Wildland fire reacts to the interaction of fuel, topography, human activity, and weather – including atmospheric conditions associated with climate change creating the ‘fire-climate feedback loop’. Once called a ‘fire season’, fires no longer respect the months of the calendar, as timelines extend and freeways are breached while new fire behaviors develop such as ‘fire twirls’, which ultimately increase the rate of spread, fire line intensity, flame length and height.

Throughout the world, UAVs are increasingly deployed for multiple purposes through the innovation of manufacturing equipment, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and creative technologies, such as sensor development and mapping. Propelled by the data of fire science researchers, engineers, designers, AI and AR specialists, technology experts, and manufacturers, these innovations better inform the human decision-makers engaged in the increasing use of UAVs in aerial wildland firefighting. To support these experts, demand for public and private collaborators, academic professors, corporate executives, association leaders, partners, investors, regulators, administrators and government funding providers is also increasing.

AirMed&Rescue spoke with manufacturers, researchers and designers to address regulations for scalable beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations and to answer the question: what is the role of UAVs in the aerial wildland firefighting space?

AI and AR: bridging data with decision-makers

With its powerful integration of software solutions, FlySight provides real-time support in mission-critical scenarios, specifically geared towards strengthening the role of UAVs in aerial firefighting.

“FlySight integrates the company’s AR engine with AI in support of airborne payload operators into the mission to increase the role of UAVs in aerial wildland firefighting capabilities,” said FlySight CEO Andrea Masini.

FlySight’s OPENSIGHT is a multi-domain, multi-platform and open-code solutions system that delivers a direct integration with complementary partners, such as Smith Myers and Centum, which can also be configured with turnkey solutions, Masini explained. ​

The aim is to provide the operator with the most optimal situational awareness possible in real time, enabling them to act correctly and swiftly

“Our OPENSIGHT Mission Console is an onboard system that can be customized and implemented by additional plugins, to better connect with the client’s specific needs,” he said. “FlySight’s vision is to bridge the gap between non-invasive remote-sensed information and decision-enabling systems.”

OPENSIGHT specifically generates useful data to calculate and update the census for burned areas, he added.

“With the functionality of fusion/blending and historical data, operators can detect, track and save the areas affected by the fire,” said Masini.

The aim is to provide the operator with the most optimal situational awareness possible in real time, enabling them to act correctly and swiftly, he added.

The inspiration behind the innovation

The genius that inspired FlySight’s solutions and strategies for UAV aerial firefighting comes from a unique mix of scientific and technical backgrounds – “our skilled team of talented scientists, R&D engineers and several experts with doctorates in an engineering discipline”, as described by Masini. “Our team is composed of motivated individuals with strength in their respective fields, pushing a collaborative environment where team members support each other,” he added.

FlySight’s team specializes in designing and developing state-of-the-art software in the field of C4ISR (command, control, computers, communications for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) systems, with the aim of enabling the best user experience in any mission-critical scenario.

“Our mission is to develop cognitive solutions to help humans make optimal decisions in mission-critical scenarios, for example search and rescue or firefighting operations,” said Masini.

FlySight’s solutions optimize and enhance situational awareness, mission planning and debriefing operations in a real-time operating environment, in both the defense and security and the civil infrastructure asset management sectors.

USFS UAS: limiting exposure, risks and costs

The US Forest Service (USFS) UAS program involves a “highly coordinated effort with all ground and aviation resources”, according to USFS National UAS Aerial Ignition Specialist Kelly Boyd. “UAS operations supplement conventional aviation operations by providing low-risk cost-effective intelligence and scouting to firefighters on the ground to limit exposure,” he added.

UAS operations supplement conventional aviation operations by providing low-risk cost-effective intelligence and scouting to firefighters on the ground to limit exposure

While wildland fire UAS work involves high-risk situations, safety is paramount, said Justin Baxter, USFS National UAS Operations Specialist. “The Forest Service agency’s UAS program ensures that our UAS pilots are properly trained, mentored and certified to operate within these situations. This includes understanding airspace regulations, coordinating with other firefighting resources, and adhering to safety protocols.”

Regarding fighting wildland fires, Joe Don Morton, USFS National UAS Coordinator said “neither [smoke nor night operations] is a limiting factor”. “The UAS can access areas that are inaccessible to other aircraft,” he explained. “Leveraging UAS manages risk by limiting exposure.”

The key to managing wildland firefighting begins with training and is sustained and supported by strong leaders through mentorship programs, said Dirk Giles, USFS National UAS Program Manager. “Managing programmatic risk is my primary job,” he said. “The foundation of UAS utilization on wildland fires is excellent training and mentorship to ensure that every mission is communicated, coordinated, and deconflicted.”

FAA: a public-private collaboration toward meaningful change

Members of the public often use UAVs in ways that can cause hazards or hindrances to emergency services, particularly when it comes to BVLOS operations during instances of wildfires; fire response agencies often need to ground aircraft to avoid the potential for midair collisions, diminishing their ability to tackle the fires. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), for example, now implements temporary flight restrictions during emergencies, which prohibit UAVs from flying without prior authorization. According to a spokesperson, the FAA understands the existing BVLOS regulatory framework must change to better support the long-term viability and sustainability of the evolving UAV aviation sector, and also recognizes the significant safety, economic, and environmental value associated with BVLOS operations. “However, these are challenges within the entire UAV community that must be addressed together to ensure safety and security, and protect society at large,” the spokesperson said.

The FAA is currently developing standard rules to make BVLOS operations routine, scalable and economically viable, and has chartered the Beyond Visual Line of Sight Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to provide safety recommendations to the agency. As stated on the FAA’s website, improving the safety and efficiency of UAV operations is the goal of the ARC, a cross-sectional, public-private team of experts representing companies, associations, organizations and academia dedicated to assessing the safety factors of UAVs in aerial wildland firefighting. In its Final Report, the ARC said it had considered the various lessons and insights on performance-based criteria to support UAV BVLOS operations in the national airspace. According to the ARC, the current FAA regulations do not enable the domestic uncrewed aircraft BVLOS industry to scale and achieve meaningful results from those benefits. It noted, though, that the industry was “ready and willing” to provide resources, technology, and expertise to scale BVLOS, and that several companies, communities, and industrial sectors had invested “substantial resources” in developing UAS technologies to realize these benefits.

The industry is ready and willing to provide resources, technology, and expertise to scale BVLOS

“As an agency, we continue to work closely with firefighting agencies, first responders and other organizations responding to natural disasters or other emergency situations to allow UAVs to operate in restricted airspace during emergencies, and [these] may be eligible for approval through our expedited Special Governmental Interest (SGI) process,” said the FAA spokesperson.

Drones valued for data: saving time, money and lives

For the past 25 years, leading drones and systems developer Draganfly has developed emerging technologies for drone solutions through software and AI systems, revolutionizing ingenious technologies in support of public safety experts such as first responders and the military, providing security, mapping, and surveying markets to save time, money, and lives, said CEO Cameron Chell.

Recently, Chell addressed the United Nations to highlight how UAV technology has enhanced disaster management efforts. Draganfly produces technically advanced heavy-lift drones, quadcopters, and multirotor aircraft, and provides tools and strategies to meet the global demand of the wildfire surge through joint initiatives and collaborations, and by simply “listening to our customers’ specific needs”, said Chell.

Draganfly recently opened its new facilities, a manufacturing and production facility in Saskatoon, Canada, and unveiled its latest advancements in aerial robotics, which are revolutionizing the first responder industry at its partner training facility in San Antonio, Texas. The company recently held hands-on demonstrations and real-world emergency response simulations with partners deploying its Commander 3 XL, which is primarily used by commercial search and rescue responders as well as global military customers within NATO countries.

“The Commander 3 XL is our greatest innovation created through customer interaction while driven by customer requirements, most of which are smaller in the market today,” said Chell. “The Commander 3 XL is measured at 3ft x 2.5ft weighing 22lb with a payload of 24lb.”

Specifications toward hybrid or combustion engines

Customer specifications are the first of two of our differentiating factors in the market, Chell said.

“As our most advanced and best-selling drone, the Commander 3XL is also designed with an optional 70cc fuel-injected engine and a battery life of three hours, which reduces payload weight by about nine pounds,” he said.

The most limiting factor of surrounding drones is battery life

“We’ve seen utility, commercial and defense requirements gravitate toward hybrid or combustion engine options,” he added. “However, the most limiting factor of surrounding drones is battery life. Battery is about working with different battery mixes and partnering with the companies creating these mixes depending on the mission profile life within the temperatures that a drone may be operating in. We built the Commander 3 XL around a battery that uses multiple sensors, which are often more effective in offsetting dozens of integrations in a fleet of drones where each drone provides a specialized service.”

Most drone batteries are hybrid variants with about 15 minutes of battery life, Chell said: “Sensors are lightweight, multispectral cameras, but the constraining factor are the sensors that drain battery life. Typically in the industry, it’s tough to complete a mission within 20 minutes.”

Draganfly’s number one objective is to provide customers and partners with a significant strategic advantage, Chell said. “For example, if the USFS wants to map a reserve with topographic logging lights, we can also consider other environmental factors like methane gas or pollen. We could deliver the data calculated in terabytes of information to the USFS while also managing storage, security permissions and even providing certain types of analysis.”

Setting the pace of demand with data and diverse markets

Keeping the pace of demand in a surging global market while addressing BVLOS is critical.

“Drones have to quickly evolve and scale to manufacturing to keep pace with the global demand,” said Chell, who also noted that “Draganfly is best described as a drone manufacturer that focuses on data”. The company has stepped up to quickly design and integrate AI, and battery capacity, he said. “However, as multiple orders come in, the industry is not ramped up to fill the orders. We are amongst the first to meet the order capacities.”

Integrating in multiple markets as a global system, such as military with commercial, is a big part of meeting capacity, Chell added. “Production environments require highly advanced manufacturing stages for defense or military, with effective quality control in place to produce drones ‘on the spot’ while protecting the supply chain,” he said.

Chell pointed out a shift in military budgets referencing the Pentagon’s aviation unit Replicator program, which is looking to produce thousands of drones over two years. “If used in military defense, these drones can also be fashioned for commercial markets,” he said. “Military technology spills over into the commercial. Whether military or commercial, BVLOS is a key factor. However, the commercial space is limited by time-consuming waivers due to regulations.”

New, modified regulations will expedite the type certification for drones, which means an easier, quicker waiver process, said Chell. The ‘best of breed’ in the military and commercial space starts with looking at the whole ecosystem, he said. For Draganfly, said Chell, “it’s about saving time, money and lives”.

Fire and smoke: USFS technology and sensor development

New technology and sensor development within the UAV/UAS aerial firefighting space is increasing in regard to fire and smoke, and fire sensors model evaluations are being designed by the USFS Pacific Northwest fire science laboratory, Fire and Environmental Research Applications (FERA), in Wenatchee, Washington.

New models and techniques in the aerial space will bring a lot of potential, allowing us to forecast specific dates for the firefighters and those who prescribe burns, as well as analyzing data to model and monitor smoke

Research biologist Adam Watts, PhD, is leading FERA’s team of researchers to conduct fire and smoke model evaluation (FASMEE) experiments. This forms part of a multi-agency, interdisciplinary collaborative program to collect critical measurements of fuels, fire behavior, fire energy, meteorology, smoke and fire effects, in order to evaluate and advance operational fire and smoke models, and aid in the allocation of aerial firefighting resources.

“The UAS role in wildland firefighting is such a huge enterprise and effort of many organizations,” said Watts. “The program’s tools and development of the UAS wildland firefighting research is an excellent platform to conduct research at little to no risk. New models and techniques in the aerial space will bring a lot of potential, allowing us to forecast specific dates for the firefighters and those who prescribe burns, as well as analyzing data to model and monitor smoke.”

This data is relied on to maintain the tools to identify the location of the smoke and fire on the standard digital map, he said. “As they say, the tools are only as good as the research, and the data is only as good as the experiments.” As an example, when collaborating and researching different disciplines within the aerial firefighting space, Watts said one team can collect data from the smoke sensor technology while another team gathers data from the fuels burned on or in the ground.

Capturing data from a distance and underground

“Humans have been fire users since the beginning of time, but humans have yet to fully comprehend all of the required data in order to calculate the predictions,” Watts said.

Comprehending the effect of global smoke from wildland fire that perpetuates climate change is another incomprehensible thought.

Humans are the cause of 85% of wildland fires in the USA, according to 2000–17 data from the USFS Research Data Archive. The World Research Institute describes climate change as “one of the major drivers of increasing fire activity”, with extreme heat waves and increasing temperatures leading to increasing emissions from forest fires, “further exacerbating climate change and contributing to more fires as part of a ‘fire-climate feedback loop’. This feedback loop, combined with the expansion of human activities into forested areas, is driving much of the increase in fire activity seen today.”

The smoke in our atmosphere today can also be smoke from another fire in another part of the world

“The smoke in our atmosphere today can also be smoke from another fire in another part of the world,” said Watts. “We are one world, one climate.

“For direct sensing of the atmosphere using remote-controlled tripods to look at the smoke from far away, the UAV is the way to go,” he added.

“With combustions and smoldering fires, the hope is that UAS as a useful technology will bring helpful data from hard-to-identify areas, such as where the point of combustion and smoldering take place underground.”

With sensors and advanced technology, we can look under the surface to find the heat to improve the ability to attack the insidious fires at the point where the combustion is occurring, Watts added. “Those will increase over the next few decades,” he said.

In the meantime, Watts said that while the current UAV/UAS regulations challenge the USFS, looking forward, the technology and tools will help centralize management while finding ways to improve technology to potentially save lives and lands from wildfire risks.