In the last few years, West Yorkshire has experienced an alarming increase in wildfires. In answer, state and local governments, and university-based researchers, are working urgently to find new approaches. Between 2018 and 2019, serious fire outbreaks flared up on both Marsden Moor and Ilkley Moor. In answer to the increasing threat, the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) is improving its wildfire detection and response tactics.
At a recent conference in Birmingham, Dr. Kamran Mahroof from the University of Bradford highlighted the urgency of addressing this issue. He raised the high stakes of the need for fast detection of wildfires to prevent loss of life and property.
“The whole idea for us is to identify wildfires as soon as possible.” – Dr. Kamran Mahroof
Wildfires are a crisis worldwide, with the ferocity and occurrence historically increasing at an alarming rate starting just a few years ago. Dr. Mahroof noted,
“Wildfires are a global phenomenon and have been increasing in frequency and intensity in recent years.”
To address these mounting challenges, WYFRS is harnessing new predictive mapping technologies. On the ground, they’re taking advantage of improved weather forecasting applications to better predict fire behavior. These advancements pave the way for better preparedness and faster response times with wildfire disasters.
The University of Bradford’s research team is proud to be part of the European Union-funded 6G-VERSUS initiative. Their mission is to develop cutting-edge communicative technologies explicitly tailored for first responders. Greece will start a pilot program for this project next year. Dr. Konstantinos Katsaros and Dr. Lazaros Karagiannidis of the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) will head the joint project.
“In the Greek pilot of SNS-JU 6G-VERSUS, we’re developing a combined robotic dog and aerial drone system that boosts situational awareness for first responders during wildfires.” – Team
This cutting-edge robotic system would improve situational awareness for first responders through the combination of robotic technology and tethered aerial drones. By leveraging new artificial intelligence (AI) technology, teams are able to quickly pinpoint people in danger by accessing and analyzing real-time camera feeds. With 6G connectivity, they’re able to relay critical data and deploy resources more effectively.
“By applying AI to interpret real-time camera feeds and using 6G links to relay the data, we can help teams quickly identify people at risk and deploy resources where they’re needed most, all while keeping responders safe.” – Team
To help firefighters even more during long-term operations, new lightweight personal protective equipment has been developed. Moving forward, WYFRS is deploying all-terrain vehicles to wildfire response in order to improve access to remote or difficult-to-reach areas.