Fire breaks out at US-owned drone factory in Latvia

Europe, News February 8, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

A fire broke out in a U.S.-owned drone manufacturing company Edge Autonomy’s production facility in Latvia on February 7, 2023. The drone factory reportedly produces drones for the Ukrainian military and NATO allies.

Dark smoke and flames engulfed Edge Autonomy’s drone production plant on the outskirts of Riga. So far, the cause of the fire is unknown. A local news agency reported that more than 20 police cars, nine fire engines, and five ambulances rushed to the scene of the blaze. A video taken from the road shows black smoke billowing out of the burning factory.

Latvia’s State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) reported that “A high-hazard fire has broken out at a production plant, creating a lot of smoke which can harm human health. VUGD brigades are working on extinguishing the fire.” The VUGD sources did not specify any cause of the fire and did not report any causality as a result of the fire.

Residents were cleared from the nearby area and no casualties were reported, however, a severe loss is being estimated in terms of equipment and parts as the factory was working at its full capacity to meet the increasing demand for drones in Europe and especially in Ukraine.

The Edge Autonomy factory is located near Riga airport, though flight operations were not affected by the fire, airport administration blocked off the affected area. A representative of the airport said that one of five of the airport fire brigades had been dispatched to the scene to help put out the blaze.

*^{Firefighters are seen in this photo extinguishing the fire at the Edge Autonomy drone Factory. (Image Credit: Gints Ivuskans/AFP)}*

The California-based manufacturing company was founded in 2009 and focused on producing parts from aerial drones. The company’s specialization is in surveillance and reconnaissance drones rather than combat drones, hence the possibility of a larger blast was ruled out due by the rescue officials due to the lack of ammunition present in the factory. The Latvian facility was established to deliver unmanned system technologies for academic, commercial, and military use to more than 70 different clients in Europe.

Drone technology has proven to play a pivotal role in defining the course of the war, especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Edge Autonomy along with other drone manufacturers have cashed in on the opportunity by increasing their drone production for military and combat uses.

Several drone manufacturers have benefitted from the increasing use and demand of unmanned autonomous vehicles in combat situations. This includes Turkish and Israeli drone manufacturers as well as Iranian drone makers. Almost all European militaries have now established designated drone operating units in their forces which has increased the demand even further. The increased demand has allowed several new producers and designers to enter the market.