As fire seasons stretch longer and blazes burn hotter, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln startup company is using drones to fight fire with fire and keep people out of harm’s way.
Drone Amplified is headed by Carrick Detweiler, associate professor of computer science and engineering. The company’s drone-mounted technology carries chemical spheres the size of pingpong balls. At the press of a button, the spheres drop and ignite — intentionally sparking small fires that burn vegetation and starve incoming wildfires of potential fuel.