Wildfires are one of the most dangerous and escalating threats around the world, increasingly seen as more frequent and intense than in years past. In particular, the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is using more innovative approaches to improve detection and response to wildfires. Using all-terrain vehicles and cutting-edge mapping technology, they hope to better forecast the path of destructive wildfires, doing so with a precision never previously achieved.
The West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has taken the incorporation of weather forecasting applications a step further. With these tools firefighters can make data-driven decisions enabling them to proactively respond before a wildfire ignites. The service has introduced new lightweight, flexible personal protective equipment. These bast gear develop in order to care protect firefighters to get a prolonged operations an arduous situation normal.
Partnership with the wider research community is an important part of combatting this growing menace. The University of Bradford, through the work of Dr Kamran Mahroof, is playing a key role in a pioneering project developing wildfire detection technology. His team’s work further extends to discovering and detecting wildfires at the earliest point possible, an imperative element of curbing these disasters before they spread.
“Wildfires are a global phenomenon and have been increasing in frequency and intensity in recent years.” – Dr. Kamran Mahroof
The University of Bradford’s research is part of the EU-funded 6G-VERSUS initiative, which is conducting trials related to wildfire management through advanced technologies. In Greece’s pilot test, which will be conducted next year. This area has been hit hard by severe wildfire issues. It was this research that was awarded funding earlier this year under the European Union’s Horizon Innovation Action programme.
Dr. Mahroof emphasized the importance of rapid identification of wildfires, stating, “The whole idea for us is to identify wildfires as soon as possible.” The research was recently showcased at an event in Birmingham that explored how artificial intelligence can address global challenges, underscoring the innovative approaches being taken to combat wildfires.
“We are using the latest technologies out there – the likes of 6G, drones and, dare I say it, robotic dogs to identify where the likelihood is for a fire to take place and for us to mitigate this as soon as possible.” – Dr. Kamran Mahroof
As the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service continues to iterate its strategies in real-time, we’ll be watching closely. They recognize an exciting opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Mahroof’s group at the University of Bradford and build upon their advancements in wildfire detection technology. We believe this partnership will help us make the region’s firefighting efforts even more effective.
