Redding Chico Eureka

Source Domain: krcrtv.com

CHICO, Calif. — Ponderosa.ai is working on developing drone technology aimed at enhancing early wildfire detection and suppression.

Ponderosa.ai’s long-term vision is to create cost-effective, AI drone swarms that can be rapidly deployed to high-risk areas, with the goal of reaching wildfire sites within five minutes. The goal is for the systems to be mostly autonomous while still collaborating closely with local fire agencies in rapid initial response.

“Every fire that goes out of control causes billions of dollars in damages and destroys communities and lives. Our goal is to increase the percentage of fires we can keep small and protect homes and communities more effectively,” said Ryo Chijiiwa, founder and CEO of Ponderosa.ai.

Photo of Ponderosa.ai drone to enhance firefighting capabilities. (Courtesy of: Ponderosa.ai)

The company’s current focus involves large, heavy-lift drones capable of carrying up to 80 pounds of cargo, or 10 gallons of water or retardants, to assist firefighters on the ground. These drones are about 8 feet by 8 feet in size, foldable for transport, and can deliver supplies and conduct hotspot mapping. Chijiiwa explained deploying swarms of five to ten drones that could collectively carry between 50 and 100 gallons of water or retardants.

“In 10 to 20 years, we’d like our drones to be pre-positioned in areas of high risk so that as soon as a call comes in, they could be there and start putting out the fire or containing it within five minutes, preventing it from growing out of control,” he said.

The company was born out of Chijiiwa’s interest in aviation and background in tech. Working at Google and other small companies led him to consider how modern technology could improve wildfire response.

Chijiiwa says Ponderosa.ai is currently in the research and development phase. The company anticipates that its heavy-lift drones and mapping capabilities could be operational within the next year. However, the development of suppression drones is…

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