I work for a State forestry agency and I flew forest fires for 7 years in a Cessna 185. I’ve also flown some composite hull aircraft. I wonder about the effect of heat from a big fire on the composite. Tankers fly just above the tree tops to do their drops so they’re pretty close to the fire where it’s a lot hotter. 1,200 gallons of retardant or enhanced water makes for a really heavy airplane. Once they release the drop, the airplane suddenly becomes much lighter and the wings flex a lot. I’m wondering about long term airframe cracks that might develop with the heat and flexing.
My agency does use drones in firefighting and I’m a FAA Remote Pilot as well as a CAP Unmanned Aerial System Mission Pilot. Drones are mostly useful on a fire for providing an aerial view to the ground firefighters or detecting hotspots at night with IR cameras. However, their range and endurance are way too limited to replace light helicopters or scout planes for covering larger fires and staying airborne longer. They can’t carry much of a load so suppression is out of the question.