New Firefighting Technologies Could Help Battle Blazes Like Those in France and Spain
Climate change is upping the odds of major wildfires, creating a need for new tools to combat them.
Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned of a "dramatic situation" as fires raged across various Spanish provinces and neighboring countries. Over 741,000 acres were burned, forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate. Spain has deployed all available resources to manage the emergency in cities like Ávila, León, Toledo, and Madrid.
France, too, has faced massive blazes, with the fire season being six times more destructive than normal. Extreme heat and abnormally dry weather have fueled these fires, a trend seen worldwide as climate change drives more "megafires."
Spain has developed technological innovations to combat these blazes. Ecofire, a biodegradable liquid, is up to 40 times more effective than water at extinguishing fires and can be applied preventively to vegetation. Predifire, an early-warning system by the University of Córdoba, Automatismos ITEA, and Somnum Technologies, uses AI, sensors, and autonomous drones to identify fires early, reducing response time.
SenForFire, a European project, uses wireless networks of smart sensors to detect and measure signs of impending or progressing fires.
The AI-driven Wildfire Assessment Model, developed with Ministry of Science funding, predicts fire spread, control duration, and resource needs using satellite imagery and atmospheric variables. Public tools include a Civil Protection app, Google Maps alerts, and Incendios España, a real-time wildfire map using satellite data. These tools and technologies aim to better prepare for and combat the increasing threat of wildfires worldwide.
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