Transcript:
In June, a small roadside grass fire started in Oregon. The fire was only about the size of a hockey rink, but a new satellite orbiting Earth was able to detect it.
The satellite is the first in the FireSat program – a network of orbiting satellites that will track fires around the world.
Collins: “To catch and understand every single fire, understand its growth, where it’s moving, how intense it is, what its impacts can be, so that we can make better decisions over time.”
Brian Collins is with the Earth Fire Alliance, a nonprofit coalition that leads the FireSat program.
The group is currently testing its system, but when they launch three more satellites next year, they’ll share the data more widely with first responders and the public.
Collins: “ … so a firefighter can make a better decision in the face of a crisis event that is happening. So I’m very excited about that.”
By 2030, FireSat plans to have 50 satellites in orbit, providing a near-real-time view of fires burning anywhere on Earth.
Collins: “We want to make sure that … we don’t miss any parts of the planet. We don’t leave certain communities behind because they’re under-resourced.”
And with global coverage, FireSat would also help researchers better understand how wildfires are changing as the climate warms.
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media
