Knowing how to make fire catapulted mankind to the top of the food chain.
And now, from our evolutionary summit, we find ourselves confronted with a different problem: knowing how to bring it under control.
Wildfires are regularly devastating vast areas of land, a danger for animals and humans alike.
In California recently drones were deployed for the first time, dropping so-called ‘Dragon Eggs’ on affected areas, tabletennis-ball-sized spheres that catch fire upon impact with the ground, creating a controlled backfire and depriving wildfires of the fuel they need to survive.
It’s an innovation that could see risky helicopter flights, excess extinguishing water and potential life-threatening ground operations consigned to the past.
A Red Adair for the skies.
