The Fire Break | Innovations in Wildfire

From Shark Diving to Drone Swarms | Patric Douglas's Wildfire Solution


Listen Later

Visionary Patric Douglas, founder of FireSwarm Solutions, outlines his plan to revolutionize aerial firefighting by adopting a "Fire-as-a-Service" model built on ultra-efficient, gas turbine drones. Drawing on his background as a tech entrepreneur and his experience with devastating B.C. fires, he details the three major bottlenecks facing the industry and advocates for a massive investment in rapid logistics and high-performance, next-generation suppressants.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

  • The Formula 1 Model: Why drone logistics must achieve 15-second turnaround times to be effective.

  • The Turbine Advantage: Why the physics of heat and altitude currently favor gas turbines over electric batteries for heavy-lift aerial attack.

  • The Three Bottlenecks: Identifying the major constraints in the industry: power, suppressants, and adoption.

  • Next-Gen Suppression: The need for standardized, powerful powder additives that can be mixed with water anywhere in the world.

  • FSAS (Fire-as-a-Service): How private investment in drone fleets can fill the void left by inadequate state resources, especially for private timberlands.

  • From Shark Tags to Fire Tech: Patric's fascinating career journey from the Discovery Channel and helicopter companies to the current tech boom.

  • The Lasting Impact: Why the economic incentive for rapid, decisive fire suppression must replace the current system's slow, costly approach.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Fire Break | Innovations in WildfireBy Steve Wolf | Wildfire Scientist