NASA Wildfire AI forecasts forest fires to enhance response
Severe forest fires are occurring more frequently worldwide, ruining homes, burning trees, and spreading greenhouse gases.
Fortunately, NASA wildfire AI will help nations respond to such.
The space agency calls it the “Wildfire Digital Twin,” which uses AI models to predict the likelihood of wildfires in a particular area based on past data.
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It also improves how drones and ground crews share wildfire data without the Internet.
As a result, firefighters receive timely information they need to prevent flames from spreading further.
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NASA’s “Wildfire Digital Twin” project will equip firefighters and wildfire managers with a tool for monitoring wildfires and predicting harmful air pollution events, helping researchers observe global wildfire trends more precisely. https://t.co/DwNn0SBNSx pic.twitter.com/GhTrDYYJJS
— Dr. Nicky Fox (@NASAScienceAA) May 21, 2024
The official website says the Wildfire Digital Twin “will use artificial intelligence and machine learning to forecast potential burn paths in real time.”
As mentioned, it will analyze previous forest fire data to identify where the next ones would likely occur.
The world already has global models that map the spread of smoke and fire with a spatial resolution of 10 kilometers per pixel.
They also generate these wildfire simulations within hours. In contrast, the NASA wildfire AI can map this phenomenon with a resolution of 10 to 30 meters per pixel within minutes.
The Wildfire Digital Twin will also help people respond to forest fires. Nowadays, emergency crews fly drones to burning areas to monitor them.
Often, firefighters struggle to locate these drones as smoke reduces their visibility.
Consequently, the space agency enhanced how crewed aircraft, drone operators, and ground crews share information.
The system functions without online connectivity, which is usually unavailable in remote areas. Moreover, NASA streamlined it to function on mobile devices and laptops.
“We want to be able to provide firefighters with useful, timely information,” said Milton Halem, a professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland.
“There is generally no internet and no access to big supercomputers, but with our API version of the model, they could run the digital twin not just on a laptop, but even a tablet,” he added.
The NASA wildfire AI is undergoing testing in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina to ensure it will function in real-life situations.
“As fires continue to get bigger and more intense,” NASA Ames researcher Kathryn Chapman said.
“We’re giving people the tools that allow them to also scale their response,” she added.
