“Several startups are developing a new generation of autonomous aerial vehicles that more closely resemble airplanes than the small quadcopters that currently dominate the consumer drone industry. The companies hope that advances in the technology can help them snuff out wildfires — sometimes even before they start.

Their efforts are taking on fresh urgency as historically devastating wildfires rage in Los Angeles, but they might face regulatory and logistical challenges before getting fully off the ground.

One company developing firefighting drones, the United Kingdom-based Windracers, is one of 29 teams that were selected to participate in an $11 million competition put on by XPRIZE, a nonprofit group that seeks to spur technological development. The company’s drones, which have already seen use in Ukraine to carry cargo, have a wingspan of 30 feet and can work in swarms to monitor large swaths of land for wildfires and drop flame suppressants.

A fire department in the U.K. tested Windracers’ drones last August, praising the speed of the drones’ response. The company built its drones to suppress a fire within 10 minutes, before it grows out of control. With existing methods, the response time can be hours.”

From NBC News.