Fighting fire from above: How drone swarms are redefining wildfire defence in Canada

This article is based on our podcast episode released on the 7th of May 2025. [Listen to the full episode here.]

Fighting fire from above: How drones are rewriting the rules of wildfire response

As climate change intensifies, wildfires are spreading faster, burning hotter, and reaching further into the calendar year. In the face of this escalating threat, Canada is testing an aerial solution that doesn’t just respond to fire—it outmanoeuvres it.

A new frontier in wildfire defence

In British Columbia, a partnership between Strategic Natural Resource Group and FireSwarm Solutions is reshaping how we tackle wildfires. Their goal? To introduce Canada’s first AI-coordinated drone swarms capable of extinguishing fires from the air—autonomously and at night.

This isn’t just a prototype. The drones are real, ultra-heavy-lift machines capable of carrying up to 400 kg of water. They fly in formation, collect water from nearby lakes, and attack fires in areas too remote—or too dangerous—for human pilots.

These drones don’t just fill gaps left by traditional firefighting methods. They fly when others can’t: in darkness, low visibility, and extreme conditions. It’s about more than firefighting—it’s about firefighting without compromise.

Grounded in local knowledge

What makes this initiative stand out isn’t only the technology. Strategic is Canada’s largest Indigenous-owned resource consulting firm, with over a decade of experience supporting provincial firefighting crews.

Their CEO, Domenico Iannidinardo, sees the drone programme as a generational leap:

“Extending our operations to nighttime is an intuitively efficient and generational leap in safety for communities and infrastructure threatened by wildfire.”

Combining local knowledge of fire-prone terrain with advanced automation brings a kind of precision to wildfire defence that’s never been possible before.

Swarm intelligence in action

At the heart of the system is what FireSwarm calls “AI-powered swarm tech.” Inspired by bird flocks and fish schools, the drones move in coordinated formations, adjusting routes and targets dynamically. While the term “AI” can often be vague, here it refers
to the system’s ability to calculate optimal flight paths, avoid collisions, and direct payloads where they’ll do the most damage—to the fire, not the forest.

As Rasmus notes in the podcast:

“It’s not easy flying with something as unstable as a bucket of water. So these drones must have incredibly precise control systems.”

Early, fast, and flexible

But how much water can a drone carry compared to a plane? Isn’t this too little, too late?

Not necessarily. The system isn’t designed to replace helicopters—it’s designed to act earlier. Smaller fires are easier to extinguish. If drones can intervene before a blaze escalates, they might prevent the need for high-risk, high-cost aerial drops altogether.

Benjamin puts it simply:

“I think it’s obviously a good idea. Especially in places or at times when humans can’t operate.”

Technology meets territory

The drone fleets are currently being tested across Canada and are scheduled for deployment in 2026. FireSwarm’s founder, Alex Deslauriers, believes the technology could one day become standard in wildfire defence—especially in regions where fire crews struggle
to respond quickly.

And as Benjamin highlights in the podcast, involving Indigenous-led organisations ensures not only smarter logistics, but stronger community engagement:

“They know the land, they know where the fires usually start. It’s a great idea to involve them from the start.”

A hot take from the forest floor

Will drone swarms really change the game? Maybe. But they’re already changing the conversation. From satellites detecting fire-prone conditions, to gas sensors sniffing out early ignition zones, to AI systems coordinating air drops—forests are no longer being
defended with shovels alone.

Technology, when combined with boots-on-the-ground experience, may just offer a more hopeful future. Not just reacting to fire, but staying one step ahead of it.