Firefighting drones tested in XPRIZE competition to combat US wildfires

California and the XPRIZE Wildfire competition are testing autonomous firefighting drones designed to detect and suppress wildfires before they can spread. The $11 million global competition has entered its finals testing phase for the Autonomous Wildfire Response track. As wildfires plague the US nearly year-round, deploying rapid-response drones could revolutionize disaster management by stopping fires in their infancy. This technology could protect lives, property, and ecosystems from catastrophic, uncontrolled burns. The XPRIZE Wildfire competition is a four-year initiative supported by PG&E and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The testing involves autonomous systems that can launch automatically upon detecting heat or smoke using thermal imaging and AI.