With the start of the forest fire season in California on May 15, various department officials are dreading the summer season and beyond because of the dry and arid conditions the region has been in thanks to the drought. However, this year may be the beginning of a new method to fight against forest fires that have not only plagued the state for decades, but have also taken several lives.
A team of skilled researchers is working on using drones mounted with cameras to detect fires early and prevent them from spreading by informing the fire department. Fuego, or the Fire Urgency Estimator in Geosynchronous Orbit, is a system that will use special cameras that detect fires even the human eye cannot spot. These cameras will relay images taken every 3 minutes and send them back to the San Diego Supercomputer Center that will compare the images and see if a fire has erupted anywhere in the forest.
Armed with infrared cameras, these drones will soar across areas of the country that are prone to fire. Besides the drones, a satellite will also have a camera fitted on it that will be able to spot a fire the size of a quarter of an acre. According to astrophysicist at UC Berkeley, Carlton Pennypacker, this technology has previously been used in astrophysics and has the ability to find supernovas.
These drones will be the equivalent of hovering fire alarms on station over the Western States. With this ability to precisely pinpoint any flares in the area, firefighters will be able to get to the fire much quicker and hence, can put it out faster too. According to the Deputy Director of the California Department of Forestry, this valuable information will be essential to save lives and protect firefighters. While the Fuego system is still in its testing phase, it will not take too long for it to be used year round in the Western state to spot forest fires.
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