Dryad Networks has unveiled a new wildfire-fighting drone prototype designed to respond quickly to fires.
This comes on the heels of some of the worst wildfires the world has seen. In 2024, more than 44 million acres of the Amazon rainforest burned. California alone experienced over 8,000 wildfires that same year. In 2025, wildfires have been tearing through parts of the Carolinas.
Dryad's drone technology, along with other promising tech, might be the answer to early wildfire detection. The Germany-based company builds high-tech sensors and systems to detect wildfires faster than other technologies. Its newest invention is the Silvaguard drone, which navigates directly to a wildfire to pinpoint its exact location. This tech could be "the first step toward a future where we can detect and extinguish fires within minutes from ignition," said Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO and co-founder of Dryad Networks, in a press release.
The company built the drone prototype to work with its Silvanet sensor system, which uses solar-powered gas sensors to detect fires and send real-time alerts. There are currently dozens of Dryad systems across the globe. The goal is to have these sensors communicate with Silvaguard drones, triggering them to respond to wildfires. Eventually, Dryad hopes to enable these drones to extinguish wildfires moments after they start.
Quicker control of rapid-spreading wildfires is invaluable. It means more time for communities to evacuate safely, less destruction to homes and cities, and fewer health risks from smoke inhalation. Early wildfire detection can also help preserve forests and wildlife before the damage becomes irreversible.
Dryad's prototype marks a successful first step. Next, the company plans to refine the drone's navigation and fire-suppression features. Once scaled, Dryad's systems will be able to work autonomously in fire-prone regions worldwide. Dryad has received €3.8 million in grants and loans from the European Union and €2.5 million in funding from climate tech investor First Imagine to support the project.
The company hopes to bring the drones to market in 2026, according to Phys.org.
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