San Bernardino County Fire Protection District has contracted five autonomous fire-suppression aircraft from Seneca, together with a towable Mobile Air Operations Base and the company’s autonomy software. The California department plans to train firefighters before deliveries in the first and second quarters of 2027 and integrate the system before that year’s peak fire season.
The Strike Team is designed for one pilot to supervise multiple aircraft as they navigate and coordinate onboard. Seneca says the five-aircraft configuration can deliver more than 500 gallons of finished foam and reach newly detected fires in five to ten minutes under its operating concept. Intended missions include rapid initial attack, structure protection, night operations and suppressing residual hot spots.
Seneca’s aircraft and software system combines infrared and video sensing with fire targeting and obstacle avoidance. Crews can transport the aircraft by utility vehicle or position them near high-risk areas, then direct suppressant at heat sources identified from the air. The company designs the equipment for fire agencies, utilities and property operators, with replenishment and deployment organised around local field crews.
San Bernardino County Fire already operates a robotics and uncrewed-aircraft division across a service area of roughly 20,000 square miles. Fire Chief Dan Munsey said the department had worked with Seneca for more than a year on the system, focusing on reaching small ignitions in terrain that ground crews cannot access quickly.
