Idaho's Department of Lands has begun testing a satellite-based wildfire detection system that uses thermal imaging to identify fire activity and predict potential spread in near real time, marking the first of its kind in the U.S.
The group, which oversees forestry practices in the state, recently began a partnership with OroraTech to conduct a one-year demonstration of the company's technology, according to a report by GovTech.
It will operate alongside the state's existing AI-driven camera detection system, which takes photos and analyzes changes every two minutes. However, these 360-degree cameras cover only limited areas.
The state will compare both systems to determine the most efficient way to detect new fires, with the goal of keeping 95% of them at 10 acres or smaller, the report added.
"By partnering with the Idaho Department of Lands, we're ensuring that firefighters across the state have access to the most advanced wildfire intelligence available," said Thomas Gruebler, CEO of OroraTech USA, in a press release.
"With the ability to detect wildfire ignitions that are the size of a small automobile, we are giving Idaho's first responders every possible advantage in protecting lives, property and the land that defines this great state."
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OroraTech's Wildfire Solution platform uses data from public and proprietary wildfire satellites, along with other sources, to provide 24-hour situational awareness. It functions through smoke and cloud cover and integrates predictive modeling to anticipate the growth and movement of wildfires.
According to a Stanford report, wildfire smoke is 10 times more toxic than air pollution generated by burning dirty fuels. It recommends that people not in harm's way, but subjected to this smoke, use portable indoor filtration systems and N95 masks when venturing outdoors.
Smoke from wildfires contains a mixture of hazardous pollutants, including fine particulates (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, ozone, aromatic hydrocarbons, and lead.
In addition to harmful pollution, these fires also release carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases into the atmosphere in large quantities, which makes early detection and containment an important environmental safeguard.
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Always 💯 Many of these wildfires are driven by rising temperatures and drier conditions as a result of the changing climate. These factors and the increased urbanization of rural areas are linked to the fire season starting earlier and ending later, the World Health Organization shared.
NASA already has its own Fire Information Resource Management System that provides satellite data that's accessible online to assist firefighters and analysts in monitoring and locating thermal anomalies.
A low-cost network of phones called FireLoc also provides an early detection system for fires in highly localized areas. At just under $100 to set up, it's an accessible tool in fighting potential fire outbreaks.
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