Video shows firefighting drones used in China

In a video clip making the rounds online, three drones can be seen extinguishing a fire in a multi-story structure in China’s Shaanxi province.

The video was first shared in a post on Twitter by Sharing Travel, a China-focused travel page, with the caption reading, “The fire brigade in Shaanxi is trying new toys.”

It shows three drones hovering around a blazing high-rise construction and pouring water on it through a hose attached to each, eventually extinguishing the fire.

Ian Bremmer, a political scientist and president of Eurasia Group, re-shared the clip on Twitter, Facebook, and Threads.

“The future is here,” Bremmer told his significant number of followers.

Some commenters were impressed by the use of the technology, but others said it was mere optics and did not make sense.

“See person on the ground for scale. Could have easily been done from the ground or with a ladder,” one Twitter user said.

They added: “Weight of the hose will significantly limit the height such a drone can operate on. Doesn’t seem very useful.”

A Threads user who claims to be a firefighter said that “in theory those drones are pushing fire into the building and based on the condition could actually make things a lot worse.”

But, they noted, the technology was “definitely a help.”

Drones were also used in emergency rescue drills held by the city of Xi’an in the Shaanxi province late last year, as reported by state news agency Xinhua.

Drones equipped with fire-extinguishing bombs were shown advancing against the fire. The drills also included rescue communication drones and drones equipped with lighting systems to guide crowds away from danger.

Other experiments with the technology in China have shown the potential for its military use, including drones capable of deploying killer robodogs.