As the planet continues to warm, wildfires are impacting an increasing number of countries. This year, Turkey, Greece, and Spain have all faced blazes, and a wildfire in Hawaii killed at least 115 people and destroyed the town of Lahaina. In Canada, more than 15 million hectares have been burned in a historic wildfire season, prompting officials to explore new firefighting tactics. In Europe, where climate change is causing the continent to warm at an alarming rate, firefighters are also seeking innovative ways to battle wildfires. They are using drones to detect fires earlier, as well as reviving traditional practices like using sheep and goats to graze the grass.
There are several innovative solutions being used to combat wildfires. Drones have become increasingly common on the front lines of firefighting efforts. Firefighters in Europe are using drone technology to map vegetation, identify high-risk areas, track wildfires, collect data, and deliver water deposits during emergencies. Larger drones, some of them amphibious, act as aerial tankers or hose bearers, enabling them to spray water and fire-retardant chemicals over longer distances and larger areas. This technology also minimizes the risk to firefighters by reducing the need for them to get too close to the fires.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is also being employed in wildfire management. The World Economic Forum’s AI and machine learning initiative, FireAId, has demonstrated that these tools can reduce response time and the risks faced by firefighters. Drone sensors capture more data than can be processed by humans in real-time, so AI tools are used to analyze and interpret that data.
In addition to new technologies, training regimens for firefighters are becoming more high-tech and collaborative. Fire departments in different countries are comparing best practices and using three-dimensional systems to simulate emergency wildfire scenarios. In Catalonia, the Pau Costa Foundation has developed a “digital sandbox” that allows trainees and fire teams to visualize forest fire behavior and practice fire-management strategies. This type of training is particularly valuable for firefighters in northern European countries.
Preventing wildfires is crucial, and vegetation-clearing robots are being developed for this purpose. These robots work alongside drones, which map high-risk areas, allowing the robots to remove potential wildfire fuel. Until these robots become commercially available, some fire-management bodies are using an age-old technique: sheep and goats. In Catalonia, “Fire Flocks” graze on forest floors to clean up vegetation, which has helped reduce the number of wildfires in the region.
Despite the effectiveness of these mitigation strategies, it is essential to address the root cause of wildfires – greenhouse gas emissions. According to Marc Castellnou, a wildland fire incident commander and analyst with the Catalan Fire Service, fires with a burning power of over 10,000 kilowatts per square meter cannot be extinguished regardless of available resources. Some of Europe’s recent wildfires have reached six times that intensity. Therefore, reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains paramount in preventing further escalation of fire risk.
Overall, the increasing threat of wildfires due to climate change has prompted the adoption of innovative solutions. Drones, artificial intelligence, three-dimensional training, vegetation-clearing robots, and traditional practices like using fire flocks have all proven to be valuable tools in combating wildfires. However, addressing climate change itself is crucial to prevent wildfires from becoming even more destructive in the future.
– Bloomberg
Credit: The Star : News Feed
