Fighting Wildfires

Background:

The 2019-2020 fire season in Australia saw devastating wildfires in every state, with the worst impact in New South Wales and eastern Victoria. The wildfires occurred during a severe drought and persistent heat wave exacerbated by climate-change. Figure 1 shows the wildfire hot spots in this area from October 1, 2019 to January 7, 2020, with yellow showing fires from October 1st to January 6th, and red showing active fires on January 7, 2020.

Firefighters have used drones for surveillance and situational awareness (SSA) for several years; SSA drones carry high definition & thermal imaging cameras and telemetry sensors that monitor and report data from wearable devices on front-line personnel. Wearable devices can be used as Personal Locator Beacons or more complex environmental monitors. SSA drones help monitor the evolving situation, letting the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) best direct active crews for optimal effect and maximal safety.