San Bernardino County Fire Becomes California's First Fire Agency To Acquire Seneca Firefighting Drones

Partnership with Seneca brings a strike team of five autonomous suppression aircraft and a towable Mobile Air Operations Base to the County in 2026, pushing initial attack capability and advancing the department's vision for stopping fires at 10 square feet

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCoFD) today announced a contract with Seneca, a resilience technology and infrastructure company, to deploy a Seneca Strike Team of five AI-powered autonomous suppression aircraft. SBCoFD will be the first fire department in California to train with and deploy Seneca's system.

The Strike Team includes five autonomous suppression aircraft, a towable Mobile Air Operations Base, and full access to Seneca's autonomy software. Because the aircraft navigate and coordinate using onboard AI, a single SBCoFD pilot can operate the multiple Seneca aircraft in difficult terrain, allowing SBCoFD to reach dangerous hard-to-reach places even more quickly. The agreement builds on more than a decade of technology leadership at SBCoFD, which operates a dedicated Robotics and Unmanned Aerial Systems division. The Seneca Strike Team adds a new autonomous suppression capability alongside that existing fleet.

Serving the largest county by area in the contiguous United States, SBCoFD protects more than 2 million residents across a 20,000-square-mile service area with an authorized staffing level of over 1,100 full-time positions. As a true all-hazard agency, the District responds to structure fires and medical emergencies in dense urban neighborhoods and to fast-moving wildland fires in the canyons, high desert, and mountains that run throughout the County. Many of those wildland starts occur in terrain that is difficult or impossible for ground crews to reach quickly, and during hours when crewed aircraft are grounded.

SBCoFD will use the Seneca Strike Team as a force multiplier for its firefighters, engines, and existing aerial resources in situations that were previously unsafe, inefficient, or impossible.

• Rapid initial attack in inaccessible areas. Seneca's five-aircraft strike team launches from anywhere, delivers more than 500 gallons of finished foam, and reaches a new start in 5–10 minutes or less, supporting the District's goal of stopping fires while they are still small.
• Night operations. Using a suite of onboard sensors, the aircraft navigates in darkness when some other aerial resources are grounded, adding to SBCoFD true 24/7 suppression capability.
• Protecting structures ahead of a fire front. When resources are stretched thin, the Strike Team can coordinate to lay down suppressant or retardant perimeters around key structures and vegetation.
• Safer mop-up. The aircraft can suppress remaining hot spots in labor-intensive mop-up, reducing firefighters' exposure to toxic materials and freeing crews to respond to the next incident.

"Our goal is to stop 90% of fires before they grow larger than 10 square feet," said Dan Munsey, Fire Chief of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. "Seneca's aircraft give us a capability that has never before been possible: autonomous rapid initial attack. We've been working closely with Seneca for over a year to develop a system that meets our needs.  This product will help us to get more quickly to parts of the County that are at the highest risk and help make those communities safer. It force-multiplies what our firefighters can do, and it keeps them safer while they do it."

"San Bernardino County Fire Protection District is one of the most respected fire agencies in the world — a true all-hazard department that has a long history of embracing new technologies and approaches to firefighting," said Stuart Landesberg, Founder and CEO of Seneca. "We look for partners that combine excellence, a true service mentality, and a history of innovation. Chief Munsey and San Bernardino Fire embody all three. We are honored to deliver our first system in California to Chief Munsey and his team."

SBCoFD expects firefighter training to begin ahead of delivery in the first and second quarters of 2027, with the Seneca system integrated into District operations before the 2027 peak fire season.

For more information about the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, visit sbcfire.org.

For more information on Seneca, visit www.seneca.com.

About the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District

The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District is an all-hazard, all-risk, emergency services provider serving more than 60 communities and cities across approximately 19,200 square miles. From densely populated urban areas to remote mountain communities and vast desert landscapes, County Fire responds to a wide range of emergencies, including fires, medical incidents, hazardous materials incidents, and technical rescues. Committed to protecting the public and its firefighters, the district continues to explore technologies and operational strategies designed to improve, firefighter safety, emergency response, and situational awareness when dealing with emergency incidents.

About Seneca

Seneca builds advanced firefighting technology for situations that were previously unsafe, inefficient, or impossible. Based in Sausalito, California, the company develops autonomous heavy-lift drone systems that carry suppressant to the fire line, follow terrain for mapping and vegetation management, and inspect structures and utility infrastructure, with one pilot operating multiple aircraft. Seneca's systems are designed, built, and sourced in America, and serve fire agencies, utilities, and property owners. The company's mission is to protect 500 million acres in the U.S. and allied nations by 2035.

SOURCE Seneca