Wildfires are a serious global problem that requires urgent solutions. The vast majority, approximately 70%, of all fire-related tree losses over the past two decades have occurred in boreal regions.

Texas, Oregon, Florida, New Jersey, as well as Canada, Greece, India, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom are other regions struggling with massive wildfires, a phenomenon experts expect will continue due to the Climates will only increase will change. Canada has been battling fires for several weeks that have devastated 5.7 million hectares of forest, equivalent to three times the size of Lake Ontario, Disaster Relief Secretary Bill Blair said – more than double the average annual area of ​​2.7 million hectares of Lake Ontario as early as mid-June last decade. 458 fires ravaged Canadian forests yesterday, 235 of which were out of control. In total, more than 18,600 Canadians were evacuated.

in 2024, India also experienced its hottest month of February, registering just 7.2mm of rainfall, the sixth-lowest monthly figure in over 120 years. According to this, in early March India saw a 115% increase in wildfires detected by satellite compared to a year earlier. Fires are becoming less and less predictable. The Sacramento-based fire forecasting team of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (known as Cal Fire) is finding it increasingly difficult to predict the behavior of wildfires, which are becoming less predictable by the year. Existing modeling tools must do this new tools Calculation, but also a radical change in forest management.

Technology

Technology plays an essential role in the fight against wildfires, but there are too few start-ups on this topic in both prevention and fighting wildfires, including supporting firefighters who are the first to fight fires with “bare hands”. A detailed forest fire risk assessment should be carried out in the pre-fire phase and integrated into fire management plans to prioritize actions and areas. During the fire season, fire alarm and warning systems based on SMS and apps should be developed and implemented on site. These systems should be based on locally specific indicators of wildfire vulnerability and adapted to different vegetation types.

Fire weather forecasts, which are readily available on global portals, should be incorporated into these warning systems. Satellites before and after a fire should play a role. This can play a crucial role in providing accurate estimates of forest and property losses due to fire.

It is important to note that while technology can be a valuable tool in fighting wildfires, prevention, education and awareness remain essential elements in risk reduction. The combination of technological measures and good forest management practices will help minimize the damage caused by forest fires. If current trends continue, there will be devastating long-term consequences for people, wildlife and the climate. Humans are responsible for about 75% of all forest fires. This means that the solutions are also in our hands. You can read the WWF report “Fires, Forests and the Future”

Forest fire fighting technology

• Advanced detection systems: Sophisticated detection systems such as satellites, drones and infrared cameras can be used to quickly detect fire outbreaks. These technologies enable early detection of fires, which enables rapid intervention.
• Fire modeling and prediction (AI): Researchers use computer models to predict the spread of wildfires. These models take into account factors such as weather, topography and vegetation type, helping response teams make informed firefighting decisions.
• Early warning systems: Early warning systems are essential to warn the local population of the danger of forest fires. Alerts can be delivered through various technology channels, such as mobile apps, text messages, and sirens.
• Communications Systems: Robust and reliable communications systems are essential to coordinate the efforts of response teams. Two-way radios, cellular networks, and other communication technologies enable teams to stay connected and share information in real time.
• Personal Protective Equipment: Firefighters and emergency responders use modern personal protective equipment such as flame retardant suits, special helmets and breathing masks to protect against the hazards of wildfires.

chooch

When wildfires raged across California, turning the skies orange and wreaking havoc, a groundbreaking startup stepped in to fight back. chooch, a Silicon Valley-based leader in computer vision, has combined the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision to revolutionize wildfire detection. By using its innovative technology, the startup has managed to alert firefighters in real time, allowing for a faster response and preventing further damage. Working with firefighters, they found that the existing wildfire detection system had numerous false alarms caused by factors such as fog, rain and stains on the lenses. Determined to make a difference, Chooch embarked on a pilot project to integrate its fire detection software with the camera network, leveraging the power of AI and computer vision.

AI drones and cameras with computer vision can also help detect forest fires and save forests in time. This is already the case in several countries, including China. Drones enable fire detection through infrared radar, warning and monitoring of lightning, video surveillance of forest fires and monitoring of hotspots via satellite. These high-tech tools enable dynamic fire monitoring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the forest area.

Fighting treetop fires

Firefighters know that combustible canopy materials and the halo of oxygen fuel wildfires, often resulting in firestorms whipped up by the air currents created by the fire itself, and heat sources that can cause localized fires. This is the basic triangle of fire: heat, oxygen and fuel. A forest fire that reaches the treetops spreads and spirals out of control in the blink of an eye…

An Israeli company Fighting treetop fires Founded in 2012, the laser beam expert proposes using his laser technology to fight forest fires. The idea is to use algorithm-controlled laser beams from helicopters or trucks to fling leaves, thin branches and pine needles from the treetops into the path of the fire. You’d think this heat would only make a fire worse, but the company says the laser operates at lightning speed and then shuts off. Moisture remaining in the foliage immediately extinguishes the burn. In preliminary laboratory experiments, FTF’s laser technology selectively sheared off pine needles without igniting them or the remaining pine needles. The project is currently in the engineering, modeling and testing phase.

PanoAI

Startup Pano AI uses a series of cameras that monitor the wilderness and AI algorithms that monitor smoke, an indicator of small fires that could develop into raging wildfires. These images are sent to the startup’s headquarters for human confirmation, and if a fire is burning, evidence is sent to customers who may have been affected.

While Pano AI used to send evidence photos over 4G LTE networks at slow speeds of around 20-30 6-megapixel frames per minute, the new partnership with T-Mobile enables it to use the carrier’s 5G network to send 30-frame videos Second, to send per minute, which is about 90 times more data. Ultimately, delivering much faster evidence to Pano AI customers, which includes utilities, over 5G means firefighters can respond faster and potentially contain large fires before they get bigger. dangerous.

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