COLLEGE PARK, Md. (7News) — With wildfires growing more intense and destructive across the globe, a team of researchers at the University of Maryland is developing autonomous drone technology aimed at stopping fires before they spiral out of control.

Their work comes at a critical time. According to a recent United Nations report, extreme wildfires — those that spread faster, burn hotter, and cover larger areas — are on the rise. Experts warn that the likelihood of catastrophic fires could increase by 33% by 2050. Globally, these wildfires are responsible for a staggering 80% of all fire-related damages and are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with devastating effects on ecosystems.

In 2023 alone, Canada experienced 6,118 active wildfires, burning over 15 million hectares and forcing nearly 200,000 residents to evacuate, including 25,000 who fled their homes just in recent weeks. In the Western U.S., wildfire frequency has soared 400% since 1970, burning six times more land and lasting nearly five times longer.

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Given the growing scale of the problem, experts say traditional firefighting methods simply aren’t enough — That’s where the University of Maryland’s team is hoping to step in.

Led by graduate students and faculty from departments including Aerospace Engineering and Fire Protection Engineering, the group is designing autonomous drones capable of detecting and suppressing wildfires in their earliest stages. The technology is being developed as part of the XPRIZE Wildfire Competition, a 4-year, $11 million global competition focused on developing innovations that will help humanity safely coexist with wildfire, while preventing the most destructive blazes.

“The idea is to detect wildfires before people even know they’ve started,” said Fernando Raffan-Montoya, Assistant Professor in the Fire Protection Engineering department. “We’re aiming for a system that’s low-cost, easy to deploy, and fully autonomous.”

Their concept involves two types of drones: surveillance drones that monitor high-risk and remote areas, and suppression drones that respond immediately when a fire is detected. These drones will carry advanced payloads capable of being deployed from above a fire with — not just water, but potentially fire retardants or other suppression agents.

“Think of wildfire season — this could be permanently ‘on’ in a sense,” Raffan-Montoya added. “A network of drones always watching, always ready.”

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The goal aligns with the XPRIZE Wildfire challenge, which tasks teams with developing autonomous solutions that can detect and assess wildfires in 10 minutes or less — a response time that’s four times faster than current best practices. Speed is critical in firefighting: the faster a fire is detected and understood, the more effectively it can be contained.

“They open up this new frontier of possibilities — of trying to detect and suppress wildfires before humans even know they’re there,” said PJ Collins, a Minnesota native and aerospace engineering graduate student who grew up dealing with hazardous smoke from Canadian wildfires.

The Maryland team stands out not only for its technological innovation but also f

or its interdisciplinary approach. Collaborators span across aerospace, fire science, environmental systems, and robotics, working together to build solutions to one of the planet’s most pressing environmental threats.

As wildfires increase in intensity, frequency, and unpredictability, researchers say this kind of innovation is no longer optional — it’s necessary.

“We need new, innovative tools to keep up with the increasing threats and mounting challenges posed by extreme wildfire events,” Raffan-Montoya emphasized.

With billions in damages, millions of acres lost, and lives at risk, this homegrown Maryland initiative could soon be a critical line of defense in the global fight against wildfires.