Aspen Fire Department Deploys AI Firefighting Drones

In the mountain town of Aspen, where forests press close against homes and ski lodges, wildfire season no longer waits politely for summer.

It lingers year round, prowling the tree lines. Now, the Aspen Fire Department is answering with a new kind of strike force that fits in the back of a pickup truck, as CBS News reports.

Five autonomous firefighting drones are set to join the department this July, each equipped with obstacle avoidance sensors, infrared cameras, and heat detection systems designed to see through smoke and darkness.

Think of them as airborne brush trucks, only lighter, faster, and able to hover precisely where flames begin to whisper.

Autonomous Suppression in the Rockies

Each drone carries 20 gallons of water and 80 gallons of foam, matching the suppression capacity of a medium sized brush truck.

They can operate autonomously or be flown manually by a pilot. During a recent Colorado demonstration, a remote operator in California controlled one of the aircraft, highlighting how flexible the system can be.

Fire Chief Jacob Andersen emphasized safety as the driving force behind the investment, noting that semi autonomous suppression tools give firefighters new options in dangerous terrain. The department signed the contract this week, though flight approvals over federal lands will still require additional clearance.

Notably, the drones cost between $5,000 and $6,000 each and were funded by private donors. For a department protecting multimillion dollar properties surrounded by dense forest, that price tag looks less like an expense and more like insurance.

Seneca’s $60 Million Bet on Beating Megafires

The drones originate from California startup Seneca, which recently emerged from stealth mode with $60 million in funding. The round was led by Caffeinated Capital and Convective Capital, marking one of the largest early stage investments in wildfire defense technology.

Founded by Stuart Landesberg, who previously built Grove Collaborative into a public company valued at $1.5 billion, Seneca is targeting the critical first minutes after ignition.

Its drones deploy more than 100 pounds of suppressant at pressures exceeding 100 PSI. Operating in strike teams of five, they can collectively deliver between 500 and 1,000 pounds of aerated Class A foam per mission.

According to the company, the system can launch with only an approximate fire location and reach the scene in under 10 minutes.

That rapid response matters. Traditional air tankers and helicopters often arrive after flames have already crowned into treetops, and smoke can ground crewed aircraft. Autonomous drones, guided by AI and infrared imaging, can fly lower, closer, and earlier.

Seneca says a single mission can lay down foam barriers stretching 1,280 feet long and three feet wide, creating defensive lines before small ignitions grow into headline making megafires.

DroneXL’s Take

Wildfire suppression is entering its drone era. What Aspen is testing today could become standard equipment across the American West tomorrow.

Portable, relatively affordable, and fast to deploy, these autonomous strike teams aim squarely at the narrow window where fires are still small and manageable.

If Seneca’s technology performs as promised, the future of wildfire response may not begin with the roar of a tanker overhead, but with a quiet electric hum lifting off from the back of a truck, racing toward smoke before it turns the sky orange.

Photo credit: Seneca