Forest fires can be prevented using drones

Due to extremely hot and dry summers, forest fires have become a serious problem around the world in recent years. However, Huawei Technologies has now introduced a new solution based on drones, artificial intelligence and 5G network capabilities, which can help in timely warning and thus preventing forest fires, according to the company’s announcement.

The new system connects carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity sensors on the ground with drones flying over the forest via a 5G network, and uses artificial intelligence to analyze images captured by drones.

This technology can alert at the first signs of a fire and provide authorities with real-time data, including the extent of the fire, its direction of spread, and the optimal extinguishing route.

Thanks to this solution, the duration of automatic detection and notification to firefighters can be reduced to 2.5 minutes after the first signs appear. All of this represents an important step forward, because the first 15 minutes are crucial when a wildfire starts, and the sooner a fire is detected, the easier it is to prevent its spread.

The innovative fire detection solution was first installed in Athens in 2022 and has since undergone numerous tests and developments.