Stoking Wildfire Resilience in Oregon

The deployment is a partnership between S&T and the Oregon Hazards Lab (OHAZ) at the University of Oregon and will serve as a test to prove the viability and reliability of the two types of smoke detection sensors during an extended period. OHAZ is a natural fit for this type of effort. The full-time staff and student researchers there strive to cultivate real-time sensing capabilities that provide scientists with curated, open-access data, deliver actionable information to emergency managers and the public, and foster scientific research and discovery for a more disaster-resilient society. Also key to this effort is the ALERTWildfire program, a consortium of the University of Nevada, Reno, University of California San Diego, and the University of Oregon, which will further facilitate the monitoring by providing a high-speed camera system with machine learning capability to spot and track potential wildfires.

The ALERTWildfire network consists of 700 total cameras across the West Coast. OHAZ is responsible for installing and maintaining the 30+ cameras located in Oregon. The cameras can zoom, rotate, and tilt, enabling fire managers to watch the landscape, fire behavior, and weather in real-time. Time lapse imagery is also available on demand. Firefighters, first responders, and incident commanders have direct camera control through its secure web access. ALERTWildfire’s HD cameras have near-infrared capabilities and up to 32x zoom, with a range of up to 40 miles in the daytime and 60-80 miles at night. It’s also worth noting that ALERTWildfire is a high-bandwidth system that enables anyone with internet connectivity to view its public-facing video feeds. This 24/7 access to fire cameras provides enhanced situational awareness for the public that could facilitate faster and safer evacuations.

The wildfire sensors will be deployed in locations where OHAZ is currently operating ALERTWildfire cameras or seismic sensors.  Data collected from the wildfire sensors will be monitored and analyzed by Breeze Technologies and N5 Sensors and shared with the team from OHAZ. The goal: validate the wildfire sensor performance against the alerts generated by the ALERTWildfire camera system.

“We at the Oregon Hazards Lab are thrilled to be part of this exciting program,” said Dr. Nick Maggio, OHAZ Assistant Director of Wildfire Technology. “The deployment of the N5 and Breeze sensors, together with our ALERTWildfire camera system, will create a cutting-edge wildfire management platform. This groundbreaking use of multiple independent sensors and artificial intelligence algorithms for the detection of fire will be a profound advancement.”

The combination of smoke detectors seeking out telltale particulates in the air and the advanced camera network providing constant visual situational awareness will allow first responders to discover, locate, and confirm fire ignition; quickly scale fire resources up or down appropriately; and monitor fire behavior throughout the containment process.

The wildfire sensor deployment is expected to last throughout the 2023 wildfire season. Findings from the deployment will be used to further enhance the sensors and their detection capabilities. They will also help to optimize future deployments and locations.

This project will contribute to building a more resilient, just, and livable future of enhanced emergency preparedness, environmental stewardship, and ecological understanding. It was made possible through S&T and SCITI Labs, the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, and Chicago-based TechNexus Venture Collaborative. This pilot program is just the first of many deployments with state and local partners that will contribute to early wildfire detection.