DRONES DELIVERING WATER AND EQUIPMENT TO WILDFIRES DIRECTLY

B.C. start-up FireSwarm Solutions™ fills critical gaps by flying safely at night, in low visibility, and in conditions unsafe for pilots

“We learned that when wildfire lands on your doorstep, help might not arrive. Assets are grounded at night, in low visibility. Resources are stretched thin.FireSwarm Solutions™ delivers an automated aerial fire suppression platform, combining ultra-heavy-lift technology and advanced automation to provide fast, efficient wildfire defence for governments, firefighting teams, forestry managers, First Nations, private industries, and at-risk industries.”

-- Melanie Bitner, Co-Founder FireSwarm Solutions ™

Interview with Melanie Bitner, Co-Founder FireSwarm Solutions™

By Suzanne Forcese

WT: The FireSwarm website states:

The 2023 fire season in Canada was the most destructive on record. More land and property burned in 2023 than the past decade combined. With climate change increasing the severity and size of wildfires – stretching firefighting resources beyond their limits – global wildfire suppression requires new tactics to combat the fires of the future.

Melanie, what was the impetus for you and Alex Deslauriers to found FireSwarm Solutions™.

Bitner: For us, It’s deeply personal.

After being evacuated in August of 2023, our family kept a close eye on live cams and social media updates to track a fire that had broken out near our community a month prior.

Then, on the evening of August 17, we found ourselves glued to live cam feeds for a full eight hours, watching helplessly as the fire crept down the mountain.

That night there was no aerial or ground support.

At around 5:30am the fire reached our community where massive explosions and a fire tornado could be seen. Fire had engulfed 56 homes. My father who lived in one of those homes was now among the homeless. I’ve never felt so powerless.

We learned that when wildfire lands on your doorstep, help might not arrive. Firsthand experience revealed critical gaps in wildfire response. Assets are grounded at night, in low visibility. Resources are stretched thin. By the time the ground cooled, we knew we needed a solution that would keep crews and pilots safe AND that would fit into the current wildfire ecosystem and scale fast.

Alex, an aerospace engineer, and my life partner, knew there had to be a way to fill in the gaps in wildfire response to protect communities at night and in low visibility conditions, when it’s unsafe for pilots and crews on the ground.

WT: Please give us an overview of FireSwarm and the company mission.

Bitner: FireSwarm Solutions™ bridges the gap in wildfire response with an automated aerial suppression platform, combining ultra-heavy-lift technology and advanced automation to deliver fast, efficient protection for governments, firefighting teams, forestry managers, First Nations, and at-risk industries.

WT: Congratulations on being recognized as an XPrize Wildfire qualified team. What has this meant for you?

Bitner: Being chosen as the only Canadian company to advance in XPRIZE Wildfire has been a huge milestone for our team. It has placed our solution in a global spotlight helping us attract the right kind of attention—from wildfire professionals, technologists, and potential partners.

It has also accelerated our development, pushing us to solve harder problems, faster. Just as importantly, it has opened the door to invaluable relationships across the wildfire ecosystem and other participants—giving us access to frontline insights, expert feedback, and a powerful community that is aligned around the mission to protect people, land, and infrastructure from the growing threat of wildfires.

FireSwarm also recently became a finalist in Conservation X Labs Fire GrandChallenge.

https://www.conservationxlabs.com/news/fire-grand-challenge-finalists

What is special about this is each finalist team is composed of both a technical applicant (who devised the solution) and a place-based community (who will co-develop and collaborate in field testing).

It’s extraordinary to work with First Nations. We’re proud to partner with Cheslatta Contracting Limited Partnership, (A prosperous and sustainable local economy based in Burns Lake, B.C. that reflects Cheslatta T’en cultural values) whose deep knowledge and local expertise will help shape how our technology is tested and deployed where it matters most.

WT: The FireSwarm Founders have a combined experience of 70+ years. What does each of you bring to the company -- and how did you come together?

Bitner: It’s a matter of pure magic when all life paths collide serendipitously. Co-founders, Alex Deslauriers, David Thahn and I are all decades into our respective careers. Combined with a company mission that has a global impact, FireSwarm has become a magnet for talent.

Alex brings 25 years of solution architecture in the aerospace, defense and airline sectors. As an aerospace engineer, certified airline rated pilot, and dedicated search & rescue volunteer, Alex brings a passion for innovation at the convergence of aeronautics and emergency management.

David has over 20 years of leadership in the areas of healthcare, wildfire management, and international emergency response. He led a UN team in Ukraine, aided the World Health Organization's logistics, and has served the BC Wildfire Service for 10 years as Fire Warden, focusing on prevention, response, and UAV programs. David is also a long-time search & rescue volunteer.

I complement the technical team with a background in brand development, strategic marketing, and communications. I also support our fundraising and business development efforts. My focus is on building FireSwarm into an enduring brand rooted in strong values and a deep commitment to serving our customers.

WT: Please describe the first-of-a-kind FireSwarm technology. How is your fleet different from other drone technologies? Where are the drones manufactured?

Bitner: Currently drones work in wildfire but to date, none are providing actual suppression of any kind. Small drones are used for mapping and situational awareness.

After searching the globe for the drone we needed to fit our mission profile, we serendipitously learned of a company in Sweden called ACC Innovation, which had developed and manufactured the world’s largest Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) quadcopter. Alex flew to Sweden for a demonstration last year and came back to Canada with a partner company. FireSwarm now has an exclusive distribution agreement with ACC Innovation’s full catalog of products.

WT: How are your approach and capabilities innovative?

Bitner: Our solution is purpose-built to fit into and complement the existing wildfire ecosystem. Our software is drone-agnostic, so as more heavy lift drones emerge, FireSwarm is positioned to become the wildfire operating system of the future.

WT: Where can your systems make most of an impact above and beyond any other wildfire suppression methods --saving valuable time and resources?

Bitner: Our solution is multifunctional, helping crews move equipment and water to forward deployed crews. These are tasks that can take hours on foot when no roads are available and can be very expensive taking helicopters off other programmed missions.

FireSwarm Drones provide The ONLY ultra heavy-lift, long-endurance, multipurpose UAS – carrying up to 400 kg

We envision as regulations revise around heavy-lift drone use, that our platform is perfectly positioned for emergency response as well as other important transportation and logistics tasks.

WT: Recently Strategic Natural Resource Group and FireSwarm developed a strategic partner/client relationship. Please tell us more and why this is "an intuitively efficient and generational leap in safety for communities and infrastructure threatened by wildfire.”

Bitner: Strategic Natural Resource Group, a customer based in British Columbia, exemplifies an ideal collaborator and end user of the FireSwarm platform. Actively engaged in forestry management and wildfire response, their team brings deep expertise to the ecosystem. FireSwarm adds another valuable tool to their toolkit.

WT: As a young start-up FireSwarm has entered other significant alliances-- can you tell us a bit more please.

Bitner: 3 Points in Space Media, our launch customer in Ontario, is working with FireSwarm to advance and accelerate RPAS certification and operation of our solution in wildfire in their jurisdiction.
FireSwarm is undertaking an integrated training exercise with The City of Kelowna which will help both parties in understanding how municipal fire departments could work with the FireSwarm Solutions at the wildland urban interface.

WT: Moving forward...what's next for the fire season in 2025 and beyond?

Bitner: This summer our team continues to develop, test and prove our solution as well work through regulatory processes in preparation for being on the front lines in the 2026 (Northern Hemisphere) wildfire season.

Kudos to our team and supporters for being all in! Working tirelessly to get FireSwarm to frontlines as fast as possible. We are currently fundraising to accelerate development.

WT:What types of partnerships/collaborations are you looking to form?

Bitner: If you're a potential customer, strategic partner, or investor eager to help launch the next-generation wildfire operating system—one that changes everything—we’d love to connect.

We want to work with those crews already on the front lines of fire, providing innovative tools and long-term support.

Did you know we’re losing half the day to battle wildfire? When crews stand down at night or in low-visibility, or in unsafe conditions, the fire doesn’t rest — it keeps spreading, unchecked. When fire lands on your doorstep, help might not arrive.

We would like to share this video of our drones in action with your viewers.