Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has commissioned a self-flying robot that can detect fires at the cause, preventing the possibility of them spreading into wildfires.

They intend to use intelligent firefighting drones to suppress fires as part of an effort to develop cost-effective early mitigation strategies for wildfires.

To tackle the fires, they will utilise several robots to work together as a swarm to identify and suppress any risks. 

In partnership with Windracers, the British developer of self-flying cargo aircraft and some of the country’s most respected AI and robotics scientists, they have developed a unique technology for detecting fires before they spread into uncontrollable wildfires.

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

“The self-governing swarm of flying drones could help firefighters detect a wildfire earlier, while being able to locate the exact place of fire and summon other drones to control the fire before firefighters get to the scene.

“We are proud and delighted to be part of this trial, the first of its kind in the world, and have a say in technology that could greatly reduce the risk of wildfires.”

They can also be used to carry 100kg of fire retardant and can fly autonomously in a search pattern to monitor danger areas over the summer months.

In 2018, East Lancashire fire and rescue crews sent 60 firefighters to a blaze on Winter Hill which was roughly a kilometre in size.

Additionally, teams spent 41 days battling 18 square kilometres of wildfire on Winter Hill moorland near Bolton.

(Image: Phil Taylor)

In May 2020, a huge Darwen moorland fire was caused by a disposal barbecue and took firefighters two days to put out. 

Through using thermal and optical imaging the drones can automatically detect and investigate fires and relay the information to the fire team.

Images show devastation of fire ravaged Darwen Moor (Image: NQ)

Additionally, the drones can then intelligently self-coordinate as first responders to rapidly deploy fire retardant onto the fire, monitor the situation and return to base.

The project was funded by The Future Flight challenge at UK Research and Innovation and delivered by Innovate UK.

Wildfires have become more frequent, large, and severe in the United Kingdom.

Factors such as land use changes, higher temperatures, drought conditions, and climate change contribute to this trend. In 2022, there were over 44,000 wildfires - a rise of 72% from the previous year.