CAL FIRE Tests Autonomous Firefighting Drones in California

Recent field tests in California and Alaska have evaluated autonomous firefighting drones developed by teams participating in the XPRIZE Wildfire competition and CAL FIRE partners.

On July 15, 2026, CAL FIRE carried out a field test in California using five autonomous suppression drones produced by Seneca. This effort involved collaboration with the nonprofit FireWERX and CAL FIRE engineers to assess the drones’ performance in a real-world environment.

Seneca’s drone system is equipped with artificial intelligence and computer vision to identify fires and apply aerated Class A foam. A full deployment of four to six drones can provide between 500 and 1,000 pounds of suppression capacity in a single sortie, according to available technical details.

In June 2026, the XPRIZE Wildfire competition’s Autonomous Wildfire Response Track held its finals near Nenana, Alaska. Three finalist teams participated, each using autonomous technology to detect and suppress early-stage wildfires without direct human control.

What the numbers show

• CAL FIRE tested five Seneca drones on July 15, 2026.
• Dryad’s Silvaguard drone delivered a 100-liter suppressant payload during finals.
• XPRIZE Wildfire competition attracted nearly 300 teams worldwide.

Dryad Networks, a German company, demonstrated its Silvanet detection network and Silvaguard drone system during the Alaska finals. The system autonomously detected a small wildfire and delivered up to 100 liters of suppressant without human involvement.

The XPRIZE Wildfire competition is a four-year global event with $11 million in prizes. The Autonomous Wildfire Response Track challenges teams to autonomously detect and fully suppress a high-risk fire within a 1,000 square kilometer test area in less than ten minutes.

Finalist teams for the XPRIZE Wildfire Autonomous Wildfire Response Track were selected from an initial pool of nearly 300 teams from around the world. Dryad Networks was among the three teams that reached the finals in Alaska.

These recent field tests highlight the ongoing evaluation of autonomous systems for wildfire detection and suppression, involving both state agencies and international technology teams.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.