Drones, emerging infrared tech may be future of wildfire detection
Drones, emerging infrared tech may be future of wildfire detection
09 June 2015
published by www.ksl.com
USA– Drones and emerging infrared camera imaging technology could provide a much-needed boost to wildland firefighters in the coming years as they try to spot wildfires in their infancy.
Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands spokesman Jason Curry said Tuesday a national unmanned aircraft system could be in place within the next few years to help with monitoring, measuring and eventually detecting wildfires.
Something real-time that could notify dispatch centers is something on the horizon, Curry said. Were excited to see what it does ultimately bring.
NASA, the U.S. Forest Service and private entities are all currently looking at next-generation fire detection systems, according to Curry.
Curry said the state was contacted last week by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory about interest in a program employing satellites.
UC Berkeley researchers also in recent years have developed plans for a system known as FUEGO or Fire Urgency Estimator in Geosynchronous Orbit.
The system reportedly utilizes a satellite and drones equipped with infrared cameras. Researchers have said it works to identify wildfires in a similar way to how existing technology is used to spot supernovas elsewhere in the universe.
There are a lot of things happening, Curry said.
As costs of some of the technologies involved have come down to earth, Curry said they have become more practical options for firefighting entities with limited budgets.
We want to keep fires small, therefore less expensive and lower impact on the landscape, Curry said. So any initiative out there that is going to help us with early detection, were going to be interested in looking at it.
As it is right now, Curry said firefighters have access to some satellite imaging technology, including the MODIS, or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer.
Curry said that system isnt entirely helpful in detecting new fire starts, since data often reaches firefighters hours after the fire began.
In that time with the right conditions and winds, Curry said wildfires can spread drastically.
Weve seen fires move 50 miles an hour, so it could consume hundreds of acres in just a short timeframe minutes, Curry said.
Personal drones and wildfires
Though drones may have a future in fire detection, Curry discouraged people from taking their own drones to wildfire scenes to collect pictures and video.
Curry said they are illegal over most wildfire scenes, which generally have temporary flight restrictions in place.
Those drones also potentially pose a danger to firefighters who are involved in fire suppression from the air, and firefighters shut down their aerial operations when a private drone is spotted, Curry said.
Conditions
Curry said grasses may be green right now, but he echoed the same message circulated by Obama administration officials Tuesday that the risk for catastrophic wildfires will increase from July through September.
Ultimately we know this stuffs all going to dry out, Curry said.
