Wildfires, and their intensification due to climate change, have recently been brought back into the light due to the Camp Fire, the deadliest fire in California history. An estimated 87 people have been killed, with over 52,000 evacuated and 18,733 structures destroyed.
What technologies are being developed to help us fight fires more efficiently?
Use of real-time fire data by fire agencies has boomed. Recently, supercomputers are being used to combine weather station, field camera and areal fire perimeter images. Using a supercomputer that has the processing speed of 2 million smartphones, the Supercomputer Center at University of San Diego has developed a fire behavior model (WIFIRE). WIFIRE builds on data from previous wildfires, and previous and current weather conditions.
2017 WIFIRE Model. Each color represents half an hour of activity.
However, these models are built using past wildfire data. Climate change intensifies multiple factors of wildfires, such as vegetation drying, increased likelihood of lightning, extended fire season, and altered wind patterns. Our ability to predict wildfires may be crippled due to these shifting factors. Computer models also struggle to predict wildfires that create their own weather patterns, such as the Carr Fire.
Barriers remain in implementing new fire technology in the firefighting community. Because techniques or technologies must be thoroughly tested in the field before being readily accepted, firefighting departments are more likely to continue using reliable, older solutions. This may no longer be an option, as fires become more intense due to climate change and current methods may no longer be effective. Other developing technologies inspired by recent fires include visualizations such as drones or satellites (the data they provide can be used by WIFIRE), creating stronger fire shelters and using virtual reality as a training tool. While WIFIRE was used as a tool during the recent Woolsey Fire, many think that the model will not replace human judgement. This tool will likely be further used in the future to help firefighters make more informed decisions.
Sources
Feldman, Michael. HPC Modeling Used to Help Fight California Wildfires. www.top500.org/news/hpc-modeling-used-to-help-fight-california-wildfires/.
Ravani, Sarah. “More Bodies Found as Camp Fire Crews Close in on Full Containment.” San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, 25 Nov. 2018, www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/Firefighters-close-in-on-full-containment-of-13418233.php.
Sommer, Lauren. “Supercomputers Assist Firefighters As Wildfires Spread In California.” NPR, NPR, 18 Nov. 2018, www.npr.org/2018/11/18/668847241/supercomputers-assist-firefighters-in-evacuations-as-wildfires-spread-in-califor.
“WIFIRE Mission.” WIFIRE Mission | WIFIRE, wifire.ucsd.edu/.