Thermal cameras are an integral part of any autonomous firefighting system.

With autonomous firefighter drones, a thermal camera will be installed on a post or powerline tower. It can monitor the ground temperatures, and once it spots a fire (or higher temperatures indicating a fire), the central system AI software will command the drones to extinguish the fire or spray fire retardant powder on hot spots. A command will also be sent to the water tank system on the ground to release the spray valves to water that area.

The water tank system can have one or two pipelines with spray valves. The tank must be 5 feet or higher to insure sufficient water pressure. The water tank system will be directly under the powerline.  Once the thermal camera detects a powerline fire or higher temperatures, the camera will send a command to open the spray valve and release the water at that location. The water tank system can be of any length, from half a mile to several miles. It can be installed in hard-to-reach areas, including the forest for areas at higher risk of fire.