{"id":60127,"date":"2020-03-19T00:33:24","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T16:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/managing-wildfires-with-assistance-from-satellites\/"},"modified":"2020-03-19T00:33:24","modified_gmt":"2020-03-18T16:33:24","slug":"managing-wildfires-with-assistance-from-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/managing-wildfires-with-assistance-from-satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing Wildfires With Assistance From Satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Fire at vast scale poses enormous challenges. More than 18 million hectares, an area the size of the Netherlands, have been affected across Australia by this season\u2019s emergency-level wildfires. Along with the loss of life, both human and animal (estimates expect around 500 million Australian wildlife casualties this season), the fires carry huge financial impact. The sheer scale of the fires in Australia and California, has surpassed expectations and left both areas unprepared. The main issues have been early detection; understanding and predicting direction of travel and spread; data analytics and delivery speed of information; and tactical and timely allocation of limited resources to prioritize fires to tackle, and assets and areas to protect.<\/p>\n<h3>Identifying Location <\/h3>\n<p>Earth Observation (EO) satellites utilizing heat sensors can provide rapid information about the location and movement of wildfires regardless of how remote the affected region may be.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8eEoNlWpTHOfGnmLEttg_VS_040120_Cover_DGTL-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8eEoNlWpTHOfGnmLEttg_VS_040120_Cover_DGTL-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8eEoNlWpTHOfGnmLEttg_VS_040120_Cover_DGTL-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8eEoNlWpTHOfGnmLEttg_VS_040120_Cover_DGTL-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8eEoNlWpTHOfGnmLEttg_VS_040120_Cover_DGTL.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the April 2020 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p>Commenting on the application of satellite technology for natural disaster responses in general, Dr. Moira Smith, CTO of United Kingdom data analytics company D-CAT, says: \u201cWhen combined with the latest complementary sensor data processing technologies, EO data from satellites will deliver the immediate common situational awareness information required for effective command and control.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Early Detection and Prediction<\/h3>\n<p>Early detection is critical, but Earthscope CEO Sam Murphy says that in California, most fires are first reported by phone to 911. \u201cThe optimal solution is to use high resolution data derived from a satellite constellation, something EarthScope is working towards,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>In Australia, one specific capability in use is the IOD-1 GEMS (Global Earth Monitoring System) which is a 5 kilogram, 3U CubeSat built by AAC Clyde Space, and flying an instrument developed by Orbital Micro Systems. This captured microwave radiometric data over Australia, measuring the impact of the wildfires and highlighting key features, including smoke plumes.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a69bf08d68b1;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a69bf08d68b1 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a69bf08d68b2').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a69bf08d68b2'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Automating EO Data Distribution<\/h3>\n<p>Automation of the satellite imagery distribution chain has helped reduce the time between data collection and delivery from weeks to minutes. Replacing human processing with cloud-enabled automated data processing allows operators to instantaneously provide end-users with EO data in analysis-ready form. <\/p>\n<p>SkyWatch\u2019s Graham Stickler believes it is crucial that operators plan for the automation of their data distribution to allow time and cost-efficient application in the context of wildfire or other extreme natural disaster events. He says that solutions like SkyWatch\u2019s TerraStream were \u201cbuilt to allow new and current constellations to maximize usage of their collected data.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>D-CAT CEO Phil McLachlan agrees that to build holistic solutions, while \u201cone satellite can often provide an array of insights, such as fire detection and vegetation health, it is increasingly recognized that the intelligent combination of multiple satellite imagery sources can bring additional value, such as subsoil moisture detection to complement tree stress or health measurements.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Prioritizing Responses<\/h3>\n<p>Harnessing EO data and maximizing accurate temporal information usage in allocating public authorities\u2019 resources for the benefit of their communities offers potentially significant advantages in effective resource allocation. At the European Space Agency (ESA), Sentinel radar and optical satellites offer coverage typically every three days over Australia. With appropriate processing freely available, Sentinel-2 can highlight the location of active fires or burned areas. <\/p>\n<p>Improving this with less time-delayed data from future networks and combining refined visual images with, for example, related weather forecasting data, ground moisture and vegetation levels along with terrain factors both at scale and also on a local level, can further enhance effective response capability.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Chris Brunskill of the U.K.\u2019s Satellite Applications Catapult points to the potential prospects for \u201cthe availability of low-cost, reliable, small satellites \u2026 which has increased considerably over the past few years \u2026 and has the capability to provide consistent, science-quality data at a fraction of the cost and time of more traditional approaches.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While wildfires may be a natural part of life in some regions of the world, climate change threatens warmer, drier weather in fire-prone areas, and there is more vegetation available to burn earlier in the season. <\/p>\n<p>The levels of destruction are increasing each year, stretching resources beyond demands previously experienced. EO capabilities, if understood managed and applied effectively, can offer valuable assistance for those combating wildfires. <\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406112:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"263\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zLJ7wZFwT9WNnH8elztD_VS_040120_Billionaires_DGTL-300x263.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zLJ7wZFwT9WNnH8elztD_VS_040120_Billionaires_DGTL-300x263.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zLJ7wZFwT9WNnH8elztD_VS_040120_Billionaires_DGTL-800x703.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zLJ7wZFwT9WNnH8elztD_VS_040120_Billionaires_DGTL-640x562.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/zLJ7wZFwT9WNnH8elztD_VS_040120_Billionaires_DGTL.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tBattle of the Billionaires<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406131:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"167\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/qmVPdSsrS9C8s8F6kC9q_EdNote_Header_Web-300x167.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/qmVPdSsrS9C8s8F6kC9q_EdNote_Header_Web-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/qmVPdSsrS9C8s8F6kC9q_EdNote_Header_Web-800x446.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/qmVPdSsrS9C8s8F6kC9q_EdNote_Header_Web-640x357.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/qmVPdSsrS9C8s8F6kC9q_EdNote_Header_Web.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tBillionaires Drive Dreams as Well as Business<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406115:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/34x15jA8S86BGWZDqvgH_05_VS_040120_3DPrinting_p12_13-300x199.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/34x15jA8S86BGWZDqvgH_05_VS_040120_3DPrinting_p12_13-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/34x15jA8S86BGWZDqvgH_05_VS_040120_3DPrinting_p12_13-800x531.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/34x15jA8S86BGWZDqvgH_05_VS_040120_3DPrinting_p12_13-640x425.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/34x15jA8S86BGWZDqvgH_05_VS_040120_3DPrinting_p12_13.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tFrom Prototyping to Production: 3D Printing for Space Comes into its Own<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406125:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/swR5UiuCR7uLTetbstRv_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-300x300.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/swR5UiuCR7uLTetbstRv_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/swR5UiuCR7uLTetbstRv_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/swR5UiuCR7uLTetbstRv_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/swR5UiuCR7uLTetbstRv_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-640x640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/swR5UiuCR7uLTetbstRv_Opinion_Bubbles_Web.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tGood Things in Small Packages<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406121:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"247\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pCwya87QGGMz4RznKUq3_VS_040120_SPace_Military-300x247.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pCwya87QGGMz4RznKUq3_VS_040120_SPace_Military-300x247.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pCwya87QGGMz4RznKUq3_VS_040120_SPace_Military-800x658.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pCwya87QGGMz4RznKUq3_VS_040120_SPace_Military-640x526.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pCwya87QGGMz4RznKUq3_VS_040120_SPace_Military.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tMilitarized Space: Investments in Capability<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406118:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"205\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/JpqUumclS2myFlTaW2BI_06_VS_040120_Environment_p16_17-300x205.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/JpqUumclS2myFlTaW2BI_06_VS_040120_Environment_p16_17-300x205.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/JpqUumclS2myFlTaW2BI_06_VS_040120_Environment_p16_17-800x546.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/JpqUumclS2myFlTaW2BI_06_VS_040120_Environment_p16_17-640x437.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/JpqUumclS2myFlTaW2BI_06_VS_040120_Environment_p16_17.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSustainable Space: Utopian Dream or Reality?<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fire at vast scale poses enormous challenges. More than 18 million hectares, an area the size of the Netherlands, have been affected across Australia by this season\u2019s emergency-level wildfires. Along with the loss of life, both human and animal (estimates expect around 500 million Australian wildlife casualties this season), the fires carry huge financial impact. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60129,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60127"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}