How Remote Sensing Improves Fire Monitoring

the old way of fighting fires? wait until you see smoke OroraTech's way? let AI watch from space picture monitoring 1.6M km² of forests that's like watching 224 million football fields 24/7 the challenge seemed impossible: → detect fires instantly → cover massive territories → beat climate change's pace → save precious minutes but OroraTech had a wild idea: what if we could turn satellites into fire watchers? they built an AI that could: → read 25+ satellites at once → spot fires as small as a tennis court → see through clouds and smoke → alert teams in real-time using Google's Vertex AI, they created: → space-based monitoring → 9-day risk forecasts → instant alert systems → smart damage analysis the transformation was dramatic. old way: "Is that smoke in the distance?" hours pass fire spreads damage done This new way with AI: → 30-minute detection → AI-powered alerts → proactive responses → lives and forests saved while we sleep, their AI watches our forests while we work, it guards our future while we live, it protects our planet this is how true innovation meets impact what other climate challenges could AI solve from space? share your thoughts below 👇 want weekly insights on world-changing tech? subscribe to Lighthouse and be in the know on tomorrow's innovations. #ClimateAction #AI #Sustainability

Harnessing Space to Combat Wildfires: FireSat In a recent CNBC podcast, our partners from Muon Space and the Earth Fire Alliance discussed how we’re collaborating to leverage geospatial data to fight wildfires – specifically, our progress on FireSat, a satellite constellation designed to detect and track 5x5 meter wildfires anywhere in the world, updated every 20 minutes. Fire authorities tell us that fires are exponentially easier to suppress when they are small, which will make FireSat a game changer for their ability to respond to fires. We also expect this data to enable scientists to improve wildfire modeling and prediction. Key takeaways: 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Thanks to cost reductions, it's now possible to move from general-purpose satellites to focused purpose-built satellites that are better tailored to specific insights. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲: I’ve seen time and time again how our Google Research teams with remote sensing expertise are able to achieve breakthroughs by leveraging massive amounts of satellite data in combination with other data sources – see e.g. our work on Contrails, Solar API, Flood Forecasting, and more. (We are also leveraging current geostationary satellites for the wildfire boundaries that we show today in Google Maps.) 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹: Our focus will be on applying AI to FireSat to enable firefighters, first responders, and scientists to access the satellite data in near real-time, enabling it to translate directly into faster, more effective response. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: With the support of Google Research in sensor design, and Google.org's $13 million grant to the Earth Fire Alliance, the first FireSat satellite is scheduled to launch this quarter, as the first step in a new era of global wildfire detection and response. We’re excited to apply our set of AI tools to tackle this growing challenge. Here are the links to the full podcast: Apple: https://lnkd.in/g2PTXRvV Spotify: https://lnkd.in/grbRJDue and you can learn more about FireSat here: https://lnkd.in/gJKUHaiR

In many parts of the world, summer has become synonymous with wildfire season and we are seeing it start earlier than ever due to ongoing drought and climate change. In fact, Alberta’s #wildfire season started a week earlier this year and is expected to run later. There are wildfires burning in Washington state right now, and California has burned 1,500% more acres by this time than last year. As the world grapples with the urgent threat of climate change, scientists and policymakers are turning to #AI to help. From predicting extreme #weather events to optimizing #energy use, AI is emerging as a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. Take the company MyRadar for example. They are a small weather forecasting company that is working to combine tiny satellites with AI to detect fires long before they race out of control. They are using AI to do something that humans cannot, which is to monitor the planet 24/7 to find disasters in the making. They start by training the model with existing data of what a wildfire or smoky environment might look like. Then they use a simple numerical model that says this looks like a wildfire. They can then alert someone on the ground to prevent it from spreading further. I was super impressed when I saw these satellites in action on this PBS special <https://lnkd.in/gfAQjCxE>, which is worth a watch. This is just one of many examples of technology assisting us in taking climate action. We recently featured the Alberta Wildfire management agency on the #Pivotal Podcast <https://lnkd.in/gqmRC4bb>, discussing their work with AltaML on an AI tool that helps them decide where to direct their finite firefighting resources more effectively. The duty officers look at the predictive tool each day for their region, and decide where they will send their helicopters, bulldozers and crews based on the chance of a fire starting in that area. The model can accurately predict the likelihood of a new fire 80% of the time. Wildfires are just one example of the impacts of climate change. We need to use every tool at our disposal to face this crisis, including AI. How are you seeing technology and AI assist? Please share in the comments. 

✦ 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 (𝘆𝗲𝘁) 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 “𝘈𝘐 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳.” – 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘚𝘦𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘦, 𝘊𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦 Wildfires move fast. Studies indicate that the first 60 to 90 minutes after a spark catches are critical in stopping a wildfire before it spreads out of control, with some reports suggesting that fires can 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟯𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 with the right wind and terrain conditions. But thanks to advances in AI and computer vision, firefighters now have a powerful ally in their fight against these blazes. AI-powered cameras from ALERTCalifornia have scanned over 𝟭,𝟭𝟱𝟬 fire-prone regions, helping expand the amount of landscape that can be monitored, and the results have been impressive: ❇️ Detected over 1,200 confirmed wildfires ❇️ Consistently spotting fires before humans could even call 911 ❇️ Working 24/7, even catching fires at 2am while people sleep Originally deployed after San Diego’s devastating 2003 firestorm, these cameras evolved alongside AI. Researchers trained models to sift through hours of footage, identifying early warning signs (smoke rising, shifting haze, etc.) so that fires can be stopped before they get the chance to spread. This is AI at its best: not replacing people, but empowering them with tools to make better, faster decisions. I don’t believe AI is meant for mass-producing junk SEO content or automating work into oblivion - it’s meant to help us solve real-world problems that can protect lives. That’s innovation worth celebrating. #notdoomed

𝗔 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝟮𝟮,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹. Reading about NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration;s Next Generation Fire System this morning in Aaron Price's Newsletter, and honestly? The speed blew my mind. But what got me thinking was that 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵. NOAA built "Tactical Integrated Warning Teams" connecting meteorologists, firefighters, and emergency responders. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: Working in energy SaaS, I see the other side daily. Many wildfires start with utility infrastructure - downed poles, tree limbs hitting powerlines, equipment failures creating that initial spark. Imagine 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴. Heat signatures near transmission lines could trigger immediate grid isolation, dispatch crews to GPS coordinates, and help differentiate equipment-caused fires from natural ignitions. The "𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 + 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲" approach mirrors what we need in utility ops - 𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦 and coordinated response protocols. #Wildfire #Utilities #AssetManagement #EnergyTech #RiskMitigation

AI holds incredible promise and potential, but something I find especially inspiring is how it can help us solve some of the biggest environmental challenges we face today, such as the global wildfires.    In Canada, Microsoft is working with the Government of Alberta and AltaML on a new AI tool which leverages machine learning to predict the risk of new wildfires by region and even by hour. Capable of analyzing tens of thousands of data points, it provides insights that help firefighting agencies plan ahead, allocate resources efficiently, and prevent fires from spreading out of control – and it’s showing great promise for other wildfire-prone regions around the world.     Learn more here: https://aka.ms/AAmlsim 

Wildfires destroyed over 30 million acres globally in 2023. Now, a groundbreaking AI model from the ECMWF is changing how we fight back. Their new “Probability of Fire” (PoF) model doesn’t rely on flashier algorithms; it thrives on better data. By integrating real-time weather patterns, vegetation conditions, and human activity, PoF offers wildfire risk predictions that are not only more accurate, but also more accessible to smaller agencies with limited resources. This is a perfect example of how better data > better algorithms when it comes to real-world impact. As climate change accelerates the frequency and severity of wildfires, tools like PoF could be game changers in helping communities prepare, respond, and ultimately save lives. #AI #ClimateTech #WildfirePrevention

A Google-Backed… [Satellite] To [Help] Battle Wildfires Made It Into Orbit -- https://lnkd.in/gbvcUV48 <-- shared technical article -- https://lnkd.in/gmTYY--6 <-- shared Google FireSat home page -- https://lnkd.in/gRFPd62R <-- shared video overview of FireSat -- https://lnkd.in/gAbeRYAi <-- shared Earth Fire Alliance home page -- [this post should not be considered an endorsement of this product] “The first satellite of the Google-backed FireSat constellation successfully made it to orbit over the weekend, kicking off what promises to be a new era in wildfire detection and monitoring. The constellation will keep a close eye on wildfires. When fully operational, the constellation’s more than 50 satellites will be able to image nearly all of Earth’s surface once every 20 minutes. The initial phase will consist of just three satellites, and it will revisit every point on the globe twice per day when it’s operational in 2026. The first satellite was built by Muon Space and launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter 13 mission on March 14 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The sensor suite consists of six-band multispectral infrared cameras, which are tuned to detect wildfires from a distance. Most wildfire tracking today uses aerial photography via airplanes or low-resolution satellite imagery that’s been repurposed for the task. The former is expensive, limiting how frequently it can be updated, while the latter suffers from low resolution and sensors not specifically tuned to wildfire detection. The FireSat constellation is designed to solve both of those problems. Its produces five-meter resolution imagery, and when the constellation is flying its full complement, it’ll provide firefighters with near real-time updates on a fire’s whereabouts and behavior…” #GIS #spatial #mapping #FireSat #monitoring #fire #wildfire #EarthFireAlliance #Google #satellite #remotesensing #earthobservation #detection #tracking #earlywarning #multispectral #infrared #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #risk #hazard #climatechange #extremeweather #impacts #humanimpacts #infrastructure #damage #AI #machinelearning #emergencyresponse #model #modeling Google Google Research Earth Fire Alliance Muon Space