Greece pins hopes on heat-seeking satellites to predict wildfires
Nine storeys off the surface of the Earth in a northern Athens suburb, half a dozen young engineers are busy reading images from four satellites orbiting 550km (340 miles) above them.
The tasking room of the Hellenic Space Center (HSC) at first seems ordinary. It is only the wall-sized screen at the end of the room that offers any hint that something extraordinary is happening here.
These satellites are Greece’s first with thermal imaging technology and are set to revolutionise fire response in the country at a time when climate change is causing drought and frequent wildfires.
By monitoring ground temperature and humidity, they can help predict where a forest fire may happen in the next few hours – a capability the Hellenic Fire Service has never had with such accuracy.
Once a fire does break out, the HSC can now model how it will spread by mapping vegetation and elevation, helping to direct fire trucks and, on impassable terrain, foot patrols referred to as forest commandos.
These predictive abilities can help the fire service pre-position assets and shorten response times, but the satellites also bring unique properties to a firefight.
That can help direct helicopters and planes to perform more precise water bombings.
These satellites are Greece’s first with thermal imaging technology and are set to revolutionise fire response in the country at a time when climate change is causing drought and frequent wildfires.
By monitoring ground temperature and humidity, they can help predict where a forest fire may happen in the next few hours – a capability the Hellenic Fire Service has never had with such accuracy.
Once a fire does break out, the HSC can now model how it will spread by mapping vegetation and elevation, helping to direct fire trucks and, on impassable terrain, foot patrols referred to as forest commandos.
These predictive abilities can help the fire service pre-position assets and shorten response times, but the satellites also bring unique properties to a firefight.
“When there is a fire, there is a lot of smoke, and these satellites can see through the smoke and find exactly where the hot spots are, where the fires are burning,” HSC President Emmanuel Rammos told Al Jazeera.
That can help direct helicopters and planes to perform more precise water bombings.
