Wildfires can wreak havoc on human health, property and communities, so it’s imperative to detect them as early as possible. That’s why NASA is working on a concept for a network of space-based sensors called FireSat.
FireSat would be a constellation of more than 200 thermal infrared imaging sensors on satellites designed to quickly locate wildfires around the globe. Once operational, FireSat would represent the most complete monitoring coverage of wildfires ever from space.
“While many wildfires are reported by 911 calls soon after ignition, some are not, and delays in detection can lead to rapid escalation of a fire, and dramatic growth of the cost of suppression. The system we envision will work day and night for fires anywhere in the world,” said Robert Staehle, lead designer of FireSat at JPL.
The sensors would be able to detect fires that are at least 10 to 15 meters wide, within an average of 15 minutes from the time they begin.
