New drone system which could spot wildfires before they get out of control completes its first test — but is it too late for the summer blazes plaguing Europe?

APUS 25 vertical takeoff and landing drone.

• New drone detects wildfires within minutes using thermal and optical sensors
• Israeli drone automatically searches vast landscapes for newly ignited wildfires before they spread
• Autonomous drone sends fire coordinates directly to emergency command centers within moments

Wildfires across Europe had killed at least seventeen civilians and eight firefighters and forced roughly 330,000 people to flee by early August 2026.