An aerial firefighting system has a foam production unit attached to an aircraft. The foam production unit has a single unit variable block high expansion foam generator; a light weight bladder tank system for collection and storage of water; a light weight bladder tank system for storage of a foaming agent; a telemetry unit for adjusting air flow, foam agent proportioning, and water pressure; and tubing for foam stream straightening. The foam production unit also has a fan capable of delivering at least 75,000 cubic feet per minute of air. The incorporation of a high-CFM fan increases foam production capability more than tenfold over existing aerial firefighting systems. The volume of firefighting foam produced is in excess of 50,000 cubic feet of foam per minute.

An aircraft for unmanned firefighting may include a water tank fillable via a scoop operation during flight of the aircraft, and configured to be emptied by a release operation at a target of interest, a communications module configured to employ wireless communication via a ground link and/or a satellite link to provide real time or near real time communication with a remote configuration or monitoring facility, an imaging module configured to obtain image data at the target of interest for identifying updated target information, and a navigation module configured to enable remote or autonomous operation of the aircraft during the scoop operation and the release operation.

An aerial spraying apparatus (unmanned aerial vehicle system) includes one or more drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), and a station on the ground that is connected by wire to at least one of the one or more drones. Each of the one or more drones is equipped with a drone side cable connected to the station or another drone, and a drone side cable mechanism that performs paying out or pulling in of the drone side cable.

A system for filling a tank for a firefighting helicopter with water without ground personnel, comprising a pilot controlled valve assembly to selectively permit water to flow into the refill tank upon the receipt of a communication transmitted by a communication device within the helicopter. The pilot controlled valve assembly can include a supply valve configured to move between at least a closed state and an open state, a controller configured to control the supply valve, and a receiver configured to send a signal to a controller to cause the controller to at least open the supply valve upon receipt by the receiver of a communication meeting one or more predetermined criteria. The water tank can be filled from a water source, including a municipal water source, when the supply valve is open to provide a more efficient, semi-autonomous refill tank system greatly improves costly and time-consuming manually refill systems.

A fire-suppression system includes an aviation vehicle and a fluid transport and delivery system. The fluid transport and delivery system is coupled to a vehicle frame of the aviation vehicle and is located within a cabin of the vehicle frame. The fluid transport and delivery system includes a tank having an exit aperture formed in a bottom wall of the tank, a plug aligned with the exit aperture of the tank, and a plug actuator configured to move the plug along an axis from an open position, in which the fluid stored in the tank passes around the plug and through the exit aperture, to a closed position, in which fluid is blocked from exiting through the exit aperture.

An airborne fire extinguishing system includes a fluid reservoir, a flow control valve in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir, a deflector in fluid communication with the flow control valve, and an infrared camera. The fluid reservoir is configured to contain a fire extinguishing agent for suppressing a fire, particularly water. The flow control valve regulates a flow of the fire extinguishing agent between the fluid reservoir and the deflector. The deflector dispenses the fire extinguishing agent in a controlled manner such that the fire extinguishing agent is diffused in a specified concentration into the air. The infrared camera is configured to produce a thermographic image resulting from thermal radiation produced by a fire to help provide targeting means.

A method of and wireless mobile information network for managing the application of a clean fire and smoke inhibiting slurry composition containing clean fire inhibiting chemicals, and cellulose or wood fiber, mixed with water and other additives, on surfaces including ground surfaces in advance of wild fire, to blanket grounds from wildfire ignition, and also application over smoldering ambers and ashes to prevent re-ignition while reducing (i) the use of significant amounts of water, (ii) the production of toxic run off water, and (iii) toxic smoke.

A flame retardant product that contains an aqueous solution that includes a hydroxylated carbon-based component, an intumescent agent suitable for at least partially or even completely dehydrating the hydroxylated carbon-based component in such a way as to generate, under the effect of heat, a carbonaceous foam, and a thixotropic agent, selected to have a viscosity that increases as a result of water being added in the absence of shear. The solution has a sufficient concentration of the hydroxylated carbon-based component and the intumescent agent so that an addition of water to said solution increases the viscosity thereof in the absence of shear. The content by weight of the hydroxylated carbon-based component is greater than 10%.

An unmanned vehicle for initiating a fire extinguishing action, the vehicle having: a vehicle sensor unit for detecting a fire parameter K.sub.F of a vehicle monitoring region, a vehicle communication unit for receiving an instruction signal S.sub.I representing a detected fire, a target location and/or a target region, and a navigation control unit for navigating the vehicle to the target location based on the instruction signal S.sub.I. The vehicle is: configured for detecting the fire parameter K.sub.F in the form of a verification fire parameter K.sub.V of the fire detector monitoring region at the target location by the vehicle sensor unit, configured for determining a verification fire status Z.sub.V by evaluating the verification fire parameter K.sub.V, and designed and/or configured for initiating a fire extinguishing action if the verification fire status Z.sub.V was determined. A system with such a vehicle and a corresponding method are also provided.

The present invention relates to a fire fighting system for transporting a nozzle of a fire hose coupled to a drone to a high place. The fire fighting system includes a fire hose (10) having a fire hose (10) having a nozzle (11) for injecting a fire extinguishing liquid; a fire-extinguishing-liquid supply source (2) which is coupled to the fire hose (10), and supplies the fire extinguishing liquid to the fire hose (10); a top drone (1) coupled to the nozzle (11); a wired cable (4) coupled to the top drone (1); and a power supply unit (3) which supplies power or fuel for flying the top drone (1) through the wired cable (4).