In a post last week, I pondered firefighting drones. Since then, I have heard about the FireDome, you read that right, FireDome. No, its not a dome of fire. No, its not related to the Thunderdome. Its a technology to put out wildfires. How? Well, I’m glad you asked.

FireDome Technology

The FireDome is intended to work similar to the Iron Dome, which is an antimissile defense system in Israel. The Iron Dome works by detecting threatening missiles approaching a protected area. An intercepting missile is then sent to blow up the threatening missile in midair. The Iron Dome keeps missiles from reaching a target.

The FireDome is meant to work in a similar manner. Instead of detecting missiles, it uses cameras to detect fires near or in a protected area. The FireDome has a launcher that will then send a capsule of fire retardant material towards that fie. The capsule is intended to release its material mid air over the fire to extinguish it. FireDome could also d The capsule should break up and harmlessly fall to the ground.

A Few Questions

The FireDome concept seems kind of cool, but I have a number of questions about this technology.

How would this work in urban areas? I started hearing about the FireDome in the wake of the Los Angeles fires as a possible solution. But how would this really work if there are a lot of power lines or tall building around? I’m having a hard time imagining the capsules avoiding all the obstacles.

Also will people be ok with random capsules flying overhead? I mean, the East Coast has been worried about those random drones flying about.

Is this something a large municipality can implement? Like the picture, I can easily see this on someone’s private property in a rural area. Would this be feasible and cost effective for millions of acres of land?

Could this capsule material be easily cleaned up? Will it become an environmental hazard?

Would drones work better for urban areas? Or drones still might freak people out.

The Name Is … Unfortunate

I get where they were going with the name FireDome. It certainly is a similar concept to the Iron Dome, however the name seems, well, wrong. When I think of an Iron Dome it evokes an image of a literal dome of iron that is protecting something. When I think of a FireDome, I think of a dome of fire.

FireDome sounds like something that is destroying things, rather than protecting them from fire. I don’t have a better name for it, but maybe some consultants can come up with something.