New NASA FireSense Technology program will help first responders combat wildfires

A photo of California’s Camp Wildfire, captured by NASA’s Terra satellite. NASA’s new FireSense Technology program will equip first responders with new tools for managing and predicting wildfires. (Image Credit: NASA)

A photo of California’s Camp Wildfire, captured by NASA’s Terra satellite. NASA’s new FireSense Technology program will equip first responders with new tools for managing and predicting wildfires. (Image Credit: NASA)

11/3/22 – NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) recently launched the FireSense Technology program, paving the way for future air- and space-based remote sensors dedicated to managing wildfires.

Led by Michael Seablom, ESTO’s Senior Strategist and FireSense Technology program manager, the program will develop new sensors and information systems for detecting pre-fire conditions that could lead to a wildfire, observing wildfires in real-time, and monitoring post-fire environments to better understand how wildfires impact other Earth systems.

FireSense Technology is only one component of NASA’s Wildland FireSense Project, which leverages NASA resources agency-wide to prevent and study wildfires. The broader program encompasses the Earth Science Division’s Research and Analysis and Applied Sciences programs as well as the Aeronautics Research, and Space Technology Mission Directorates, which contribute significant resources to this initiative.

NASA’s Wildland FireSense Project comes at a time when the United States and countries around the world find themselves struggling to combat increasingly-severe wildfires. According to NOAA, wildfires in the U.S. caused more than $11.2 billion in damage between 2021 and 2022.

“NASA has looked at wildfires in the past, but this is taking it to an entirely new level. This has multi-mission support and is a priority at the very top of the agency,” said Seablom.

Seablom explains that FireSense will give first responders and community leaders new tools for preventing wildfires and coping with fire-changed environments. Landslides, for example, are far more common after a wildfire, and communities miles away from an active blaze could suffer from increased air pollution.

“To address those issues intelligently requires the right data, the right modeling, and the right information systems. All of these are part of the Fire Sense initiative – to manage the fire before the fire occurs and the post-fire environment. It’s a whole different set of problems,” said Seablom.

Solving those problems will be an immense challenge, even for an organization with an accomplished history of problem-solving. To succeed, Seablom said, will require proper coordination with stakeholders such as firefighters and other first responders at the local, state, and national levels during the innovation process.

“The real first step is to really get into their shoes and understand the problem. Then, identify the gaps. And finally, work with those stakeholders to fill the gaps and make a difference,” said Seablom.

FireSense Technology already released its first call for proposals for innovative new technologies to confront wildfires and environmental changes caused by wildfires. More information about this solicitation can be found here.

“I feel honored to be a part of Fire Sense. The fact that it’s a societal problem, to which everyone can connect, I see it as a rewarding challenge,” he said.

More information about NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office and the FireSense Technology program can be found here.

Gage Taylor, NASA Earth Science Technology Office