Report: Google wants to try fighting fires with drones

By Steven Melendez

February 03, 2021

Google has asked the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to test drones for “fire-fighting and monitoring operations,” Bloomberg reports, citing a notice in the Federal Register.

The Google Research Climate and Energy Group seeks to use the HSE-UAV M8A Pro, a type of drone that is advertised for use in spraying chemicals onto crops. The drones weigh between 55 and 98.8 pounds, according to the filing.

Google didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry from Fast Company.

The testing would be done at a “confined private property” in Firebaugh, California, according to the filing. That city is about 40 miles west of Fresno.

Google parent Alphabet has also done work in drone delivery through its Wing unit, which offers trial delivery of food and packages in a handful of cities.

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