A special drone is being tested for quick-response fire fighting in hard to reach areas. It hovers about 50 metres over a fire and puts it out with two jet streams of water. The water comes from a fire engine that is connected to the drone by a long hose. The device was designed and built at the University of Coimbra’s Forest Fire Research Laboratory in Portugal. The main advantage of this drone is that it can reach fires on mountainsides and other places where it is difficult or impossible for vehicles to go. The drone is designed to be user-friendly and light at just 20 kg.  

Many areas of Portugal have been scorched by forest fires in recent years, so they are looking for quicker ways to respond to small fires before they become large blazes. This type of drone could be a critical tool for early fire control, and it can be used in conjunction with satellites that scan forest reserves to detect the early stages of wildfires. This type of distant fire fighting will also be ideal for fires that are dangerous to approach such as those created by chemicals or explosives.