Colorado Tests New High-Altitude Tech to Stop Emerging Wildfires
RIFLE, Colo. (Sept. 24, 2026) — Every catastrophic wildfire starts as a small fire. Nightfall, heavy smoke, severe weather, difficult terrain and limited resources can all delay suppression efforts. These challenges create what aerial firefighting professionals have identified as a “denied environment.” These are situations that restrict or delay a firefighter’s ability to suppress wildfires […]
Defining the Denied Environment: An Aerial Firefighting Advancement Paradigm
As the Aviation Projects Manager at the Center of Excellence, I get to see a wide array of great ideas and technologies; most of which will never see the light of day in Aerial Firefighting (AFF). Aviation in general has a high-barrier to entry for new ideas, enforced through high-costs, with roots in life-safety, but […]