# How Drones Use Temperature Maps to Safely Start Controlled Fires

> A system for drones to drop ignition balls for controlled burns while using thermal sensors to navigate away from dangerous heat and optimize fire patterns.

- **Patent:** US 12420123
- **Original title:** Fire suppression and ignition with unmanned aerial vehicles
- **Owner:** NuTech Ventures Inc
- **Granted:** 2025
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 0
- **Field:** aerospace, mechanical, energy

## What it does

This patent describes a drone equipped with a specialized ignition system that carries and drops delayed-ignition balls to start controlled fires. The drone uses an onboard control system to generate a real-time temperature map of the area below it. This map allows the drone to navigate autonomously, specifically by detecting high-heat zones and steering the drone toward cooler air to prevent damage. It also uses this data to adjust its flight path, ensuring the drone stays over unburned areas while carrying out its ignition mission.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover ground-based vehicles or manned aircraft used for fire ignition.
- Does not cover fire suppression methods that do not involve dropping ignition balls.
- Does not cover drones that lack the ability to generate and navigate via a temperature map.
- Does not cover non-autonomous ignition systems that require manual pilot input for every drop.

## The clever bit

The drone doesn't just drop fire starters; it uses the fire's own heat signature to create a dynamic navigation map, treating the fire as a sensor input to actively avoid self-destruction.

## Real-world examples

1. Autonomous forest management drones
2. Prescribed burn ignition systems
3. Wildfire mitigation UAVs

## Why it matters

Controlled burns are essential for forest management and wildfire prevention, but they are historically dangerous for human crews on the ground or in helicopters. This technology automates the process, removing humans from the immediate vicinity of the fire while providing a safer, more precise way to manage fuel loads in dense or remote terrain.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How Drones Use Temperature Maps to Safely Start Controlled Fires cover?

A system for drones to drop ignition balls for controlled burns while using thermal sensors to navigate away from dangerous heat and optimize fire patterns.

### Who owns patent US 12420123?

NuTech Ventures Inc owns this patent, granted in 2025.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent is expected to expire on September 23, 2045, when the invention enters the public domain.

### What problem does this patent solve?

Controlled burns are essential for forest management and wildfire prevention, but they are historically dangerous for human crews on the ground or in helicopters. This technology automates the process, removing humans from the immediate vicinity of the fire while providing a safer, more precise way to manage fuel loads in dense or remote terrain.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover ground-based vehicles or manned aircraft used for fire ignition.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12420123/raptor-efficiency

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US12420123

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._