Google funds FireSat launch to detect and track wildfires

Google has backed FireSat, a constellation of satellites intended to detect, track, and perhaps even prevent wildfires from spreading. The first satellite in the FireSat program is expected to launch early next year.

Google is backing the FireSat satellite launch

Google Maps and Search services have been alerting users about nearby wildfire boundaries since 2020. The search giant has been mapping the wildfires in detail ensuring users are aware of the potential danger. Google also sends notifications and instructions on how to stay safe.

Google has infused $13m into an initiative led by the Earth Fire Alliance that aims to “detect and track wildfires the size of a classroom within 20 minutes”. A blog post published this week details FireSat. Essentially, it is a new constellation of satellites to monitor, detect, and track early-stage wildfires.

In addition to financially backing FireSat, Google Research will also contribute to this project. The entire platform will have Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide a better way to monitor and manage wildfires.

Google has indicated that the Google Research team will plug relevant data into Machine Learning (ML) technology. This would help develop AI-driven enhancements aimed at detecting wildfires when they are small.

How will FireSat help detect wildfires and save lives?

Wildfires are notoriously difficult to detect. Oftentimes, there are false alarms. Moreover, current-generation satellite imagery used for wildfire detection has low-resolution imagery and infrequent updates.

All these restrictions usually mean wildfires remain undetected until they become as large as football fields. Needless to say, such delays allow wildfires to rapidly expand, destroy habitats, and threaten nearby towns. Google and the FireSat constellation aim to bring down, or perhaps eliminate, the aforementioned limitations, and speed up detection.

The first FireSat satellite, which Google is helping launch, is expected to happen early next year. Fully deployed, this constellation should have 50 satellites in low-earth orbit.

The FireSat satellites are equipped with infrared sensors that detect small fires. Some reports suggest the constellation could eventually detect a fire as small as 5 by 5 meters or about the size of a classroom.

FireSat should be able to provide accurate and actionable information about the location, size, and intensity of early-stage wildfires. This early detection, coupled with real-time updates, could mean agencies can douse wildfires before they pose any serious threat.