Firefighting

A helicopter putting out a wildfire may not be news, but a robotic Black Hawk helicopter seeking out one and dropping water on it while the crew sits back and watches certainly is. That's what Sikorsky recently demonstrated to an audience of dignitaries.

When a raging forest fire is approaching a community, a good rainfall greatly reduces the chances of the flames actually reaching the buildings. But if rain isn't in the forecast … well, that's where the RainStream tower is designed to come in.

These remarkable non-toxic fire suppressors are the smallest on the market. They handle a variety of situations, including grease, engine, server rack and battery fires, using pyrotechnic technology – and they don't ruin what you're trying to save.

Wouldn't it be neat to see a drone using flashing lights and a siren to chase down crooks? Well, the Responder quadcopter comes equipped with both, along with other gear designed to help quicken response times when crimes or other emergencies occur.

High-density lithium batteries hold vast amounts of energy – and when they drop their guts, they can do so in absolutely spectacular destructive fashion. So researchers have built fire extinguishing capabilities right into the cells themselves.

Japanese researchers have created and open-sourced a flying firefighting hose that levitates and steers itself to fight fires using its own water pressure as a two-part propulsion system, spraying water down onto fires and keeping operators safe.

Airbus has flight tested the latest prototype of its A400M Roll-on/Roll-off modular kit that turns a standard Airbus A400M turboprop military transport aircraft into a firefighting bomber to drop water and retardants on conflagrations.

Firefighters have a dangerous job at the best of times, but especially so when they're first entering burning buildings. A new flame-resistant drone could help, by scouting structures to let firefighters know what they'll be up against.

De Havilland Canada has introduced its latest seaplane for battling forest and wildfires, the DHC-515 Firefighter. The new plane features a number of upgrades, including the ability to take on a full load of fresh or saltwater in 12 seconds.

Most of us can't afford homes with fire-extinguishing sprinklers built into the ceiling … and that's where FACE is designed to come in. It's a self-contained, heat-activated fire suppression device that's mounted in the user's home, wherever needed.

Flashover is a very dangerous phenomenon, in which all of the exposed combustible materials in an enclosed area near-simultaneously ignite. Thanks to a new AI-based system, however, firefighters may soon receive warnings when flashover is imminent.

Following up on the Bronco Overland concept, Ford has teamed up with Filson to create the Bronco + Filson Wildland Fire Rig concept. The upgraded Bronco celebrates wildfire fighters and shows how the newest body-on-frame 4x4 can help teams douse flames.