August 20 Chongqing Forest Fire Rescue Case Study

Since August 2022, 28 districts and counties in Chongqing have experienced temperatures exceeding 40℃ due to persistent extreme heat.

　　I. Basic Situation

　　Since August 2022, affected by sustained extreme high temperatures, the highest temperature in 28 districts and counties of Chongqing has exceeded 40℃. The continuous high temperatures and drought have caused frequent wildfires. Conventional fire fighting must rely on rescue personnel entering the fire scene to deal with the fire situation. Due to changes in airflow and wind speed, flying fires and jumping fires often occur. Coupled with objective factors such as complex terrain and the inaccessibility of rescue personnel or traditional rescue equipment, this has resulted in the inability to extinguish new fire points in a timely manner, leading to loss of fire control, rapid spread, and posing a huge challenge to rescue operations.

 

 

(Image: Chongqing wildfire high-temperature area map)

 

 

(Image: Chongqing forest fire burning front)

　　II. Rescue Operations

　　Under the leadership of the district committees, district governments, and fire brigades in Bishan District, Banan District, Nanchuan District, and Beibei District, the Chongqing Zhongyue Aviation rescue team, and all company employees have also joined the front-line battle to extinguish the wildfires. From the Xiematian Dingpo forest fire in Beibei District, Chongqing on August 11th to Longmenxi, Hebian Town, Bishan District, Chongqing on August 27th, they fought on the front lines of the wildfires for more than ten consecutive days.

　　(I) Stable Surface Fire Rescue Operations

　　For stable surface fires, reconnaissance drones were first deployed to scout the fire line and locate the fire head. After the fire head was identified, the ZY-XF50 heavy-duty fire-fighting and rescue drone was deployed, carrying and dropping dry powder fire extinguishing bombs to accurately block the fire head and control the fire. After the fire head was controlled, fire extinguishing bombs continued to be dropped to control the flanking fire line, preventing the fire from spreading.

 

 

(Image: Drone dropping dry powder bombs to block the fire head and suppress the open flame)

 

 

(Image: Drone carrying and dropping dry powder fire extinguishing bombs, flying over the fire spot)

 

 

(Image: Drone dropping dry powder bombs to extinguish the fire spot)

　　(II) Crown Fire Rescue Operations

　　During the rescue operation, when crown fires of considerable size were encountered, the detonation height of the dry powder bombs was adjusted to achieve umbrella-shaped coverage of the fire field in the air. The dry powder quickly adhered to the combustible materials, isolating the air and effectively preventing flying fires and jumping fires, stopping further fire spread.

 

 

(Image: Drone preparing before dropping dry powder bombs)

 

 

(Image: Drone dropping dry powder fire extinguishing bombs on a crown fire)

　　(III) Cliff Fire Rescue Operations

　　For cliff fires or high-altitude wildfires in areas inaccessible to rescue personnel, drones were used, carrying pressurized tanks of dry powder or water-based agents, to perform precise spraying for efficient fire extinguishing. For downhill fires and wildfires suitable for drone-mounted firefighting hoses, drones carried hoses aloft and sprayed high-volume extinguishing agents for efficient fire extinguishing operations. The penetration effect of the foam extinguishing agent can also effectively reduce temperature and prevent re-ignition.

 

 

(Image: Drone conducting fire extinguishing operations with a mounted fire hose)

 

 

(Image: Drone conducting fire extinguishing operations with a mounted fire hose)

　　(IV) Drones and Supporting Equipment

　　The equipment deployed in the Chongqing wildfire rescue included: ZY-15 drone rapid response pickup equipment vehicle, ZY-50 one-vehicle two-drone mobile operation platform, Guardian ZY-XF50 heavy-duty fire-fighting and rescue drone, pressurized water-based extinguishing canisters, telescopic nozzles, throw-type dry powder extinguishing bombs, and special fire hoses.

　　ZY-50 one-vehicle two-drone mobile operation platform

 

 

　　ZY-15 drone rapid response pickup equipment vehicle

 

 

　　ZY-XF50 heavy-duty fire-fighting and rescue drone

 

 

　　 Zhongyue Aviation pressurized extinguishing canister kit

 

 

　　Throw-type dry powder fire extinguishing bombs

 

 

　　III. Battle Summary

　　In this rescue operation, Chongqing Zhongyue Aviation deployed the ZY-XF50 firefighting drone for more than 50 sorties, dropping more than 40 dry powder extinguishing bombs and spraying thousands of liters of Class A foam extinguishing agent. They successively fought in more than ten fire sites, including Hutoushan in Bishan, Nanping Town in Nanchuan, and Jinyun Mountain in Beibei. Fighting one battle after another, overcoming one difficulty after another, they constantly fought on the front lines where the people needed them most. Using firefighting drones to drop dry powder fire extinguishing bombs and drag firefighting hoses, they blocked one fire line after another and extinguished one fire point after another, effectively controlling the spread of the fire. This fully demonstrated the advanced nature and practicality of the application of new emergency rescue equipment in forest fires. In particular, the use of multi-sortie cluster operations can quickly deal with fires in their early stages. This earned high praise from the Party committees, governments, and fire emergency rescue departments.

　　IV. Letters of Gratitude

 

 

 

　　V. Relevant Media Reports