# DJI R&D Head Dreams of Drones Fighting Fires By the Thousands in ‘Aerial Aqueduct’

Published 2019-04-22 · Updated 2026-03-12 · Engineering & Construction on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/engineering-and-construction/dji-rd-head-dreams-of-drones-fighting-fires-by-the-thousands-in-aerial-aqueduct

> While the world watched in shock as part of Notre Dame cathedral burned, few realized the surprising roles machines played in the incident. Sadly, a possible computer glitch may have been responsible for the fire. But technology was also crucial to the recovery efforts. French firefighters used DJI drones to survey the blaze and assess their attack…

While the world watched in shock as part of Notre Dame cathedral burned, few realized the surprising roles machines played in the incident. Sadly, [a possible computer glitch](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/notre-dame-cathedral-fire-cause-computer-glitch-rector-today-2019-04-19-live-updates/) may have been responsible for the fire. But technology was also crucial to the recovery efforts. French firefighters used DJI drones to survey the blaze and assess their attack plan — something a Paris Fire Brigade spokesperson said was [important in saving the historic building.](https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/16/18410723/notre-dame-fire-dji-drones-tracking-stopped-thermal-cameras) And a [water cannon-manned robot named Colossus](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/04/17/firefighters-had-secret-weapon-when-notre-dame-caught-fire-robot-named-colossus/?utm_term=.8412692c8077) also helped battle the raging fire.

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