Western States Fire provides the SKHI-EX™ aerial wildfire suppression system, delivering up to 8,300 feet of environmentally safe foam in a single pass—equivalent to 14 helicopter water drops.
Funding
$3.5M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Current aerial wildfire suppression relies on multiple helicopter water drops or retardant applications, which are costly, time‑intensive, and often use environmentally harmful chemicals. This limits the speed at which firelines can be established, increasing property loss, carbon emissions, and firefighting expenses.
Solution
Western States Fire’s SKHI‑EX™ system delivers a single aerial pass of up to 8,300 feet of environmentally safe, PFAS‑free foam, providing suppression capability equivalent to roughly 14 conventional helicopter water drops. The patented delivery mechanism can suppress more than 32 miles of fireline in an eight‑hour shift, cutting operational costs by about half while dramatically reducing burn duration. The foam concentrate is GRAS‑approved, minimizing ecological impact and health risks. The system is designed for integration on existing helicopters or heavy‑lift drones, enabling rapid deployment across diverse fire‑fighting fleets. Data from simulations of the 2020 August Complex fire suggest the technology could reduce total burn days to under ten and cut carbon emissions by up to 80%.
Target Audience
Primary customers are government fire agencies, private wildland firefighting contractors, and utility companies responsible for managing fire‑prone infrastructure.
Features
- Patented aerial delivery platform capable of dispensing over 50,000 CFM of foam per minute
- Single pass provides up to 8,300 feet of foam coverage, matching 14 traditional water drops
- PFAS‑free, GRAS‑approved foam formulation ensures environmental safety and regulatory compliance
- Scalable mounting options for both helicopters and heavy‑lift unmanned aerial vehicles
- Ability to suppress >32 miles of fireline in an eight‑hour operational period
- Cost‑effective operation at roughly 50 % of the price of existing aerial suppression tools