May has been declared National Wildfire Awareness Month in 10 western states to increase prevention and preparedness for wildfires throughout the country.
Ready campaign
In 2003, the Federal Emergency Management Agency launched the Ready campaign to provide resources on wildfires, including information on recognizing warnings and alerts, making an emergency plan, strengthening home protection, and gathering supplies.
ALCHERA X, a global pioneer in AI software to detect wildfires, supports National Wildfire Awareness Month and continues to work with utility companies, state governments, and commercial companies to keep communities safe ahead of the upcoming wildfire season.
drought conditions
Summer heat can change the wildfire picture quickly and lay the stage for a hazardous autumn
The unusually wet winter has significantly alleviated drought conditions but doesn’t guarantee a low-risk fire year. The rain and snow followed by super bloom created perfect growing conditions for shrubs, grasses, and young trees, highly flammable material that, when combined with dead wood from previous years, forms a tinderbox during the dry summer season.
A few months from now, there could be a major problem on hands. Summer heat can change the wildfire picture quickly and lay the stage for a hazardous autumn.
devastating wind-driven fires
While wet winters don’t ensure historic fire seasons, it has happened in the past with fatal consequences. For instance, despite a rainy winter, three of the most devastating wind-driven fires in the history of California erupted in 2017 following a hot, dry summer and fall.
In 2019, another wet, snowy year a slow summer fire season gave way to an active and disruptive autumn because of October's near-historic wind events.
Detection and protection
“As we move closer to the global danger of fire season throughout the United States and the world, ALCHERA X is doing everything possible to assist in the detection and protection of lives and property across the globe,” said Michael Plaksin, Vice President of Marketing, ALCHERA X.
He adds, “We continue to use our AI and SaaS FireScout product to work with our current and new partners to ensure the safety and protection of our beautiful national forests, wilderness, as well as lives and local communities threatened by raging wildfires.”
FireScout technology
There are many advantages to adopting FireScout technology for early detection and fast response to keep fires small and the overall impact on communities to a minimum.
FireScout can detect a plume of smoke in under a minute, giving first responders from 22 minutes to almost 2 hours to reach a fire and put it out. This technology has saved properties and lives in the United States, Korea, and Australia.
Fire officials have also appreciated the increased situational awareness that this product provides to communities, which improves firefighter and public safety.
