IDAHO — New technology using a fleet of specialized satellites may soon provide Idaho firefighters with critical data to track and predict wildfire behavior, even in the state's most remote areas.
"Idaho is a perfect case study for where satellites work really well," said Robert LaMacchia with OroraTech USA.
The company's platform, called Wildfire Solution, monitors fire hotspots and predicts how wildfires may grow by using satellites that circle the globe 24/7, providing a valuable set of eyes in the sky for firefighters.
"This is a really valuable way for firefighters to say okay, these are the areas we need to target, this is the perimeter as it stands, and here's what could happen into the future," LaMacchia said.
The technology delivers near real-time data to fire crews, helping them coordinate resources more effectively on a wildfire.
Crews can also adjust variables like relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction and fuel moisture using an AI model to predict how the fire could play out in the future in a variety of scenarios.
"There's a number of fires going on in the state at the moment and it's quite a diverse landscape," LaMacchia said.
One of the key advantages of the satellite system is its ability to monitor areas that ground crews might not be able to access or see by ground or by air, even through clouds and smoke using infrared sensors.
"For us we think it's a really useful tool in the tool kit, because not everything is gonna be able to be seen on the ground," LaMacchia said.
The technology provides frequent updates every time a satellite in the system passes over an area throughout the day, potentially giving firefighters an advantage in their response efforts.
"They are getting hotspots and updates and detections more than 25 times a day and so they're getting near real-time data from space that's being brought down to the fire community to perhaps detect earlier or monitor these areas better," LaMacchia said.
The satellite monitoring system could also provide additional protection for Idaho residents living in wildfire-prone areas if crews are able to monitor and catch fires faster.
"Ultimately it'll be better for the folks sitting at home and in and around the wildland urban interface, that is very much growing in Idaho," LaMacchia said.
If all goes according to plan, this Wildfire Solution technology should be in use in Idaho in the very near future.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
