Every year, tens of thousands of wildfires break out across the world. Unpredictable, dangerous, and destructive, causing devastating destruction to wildlife and property. They can also be damaging, if not fatal, for people caught off guard and trapped by the fire and smoke.
Wildfires are very often detected too late, when they have already reached a destructive stage, spreading into towns and neighbourhoods, and leaving residents trapped. With the number of annual wildfires increasing, governments and public safety officers in wildfire-prone areas have a duty to their communities to prepare their residents for the worst.
While wildfires pose a terrifying risk, early detection is key and fatal outcomes are preventable. External sensors and services (radar, satellite imagery or thermal imaging) can be used for monitoring possible wildfires. Sensors on towers can detect smoke or heat early on and forward notifications to an event management system.
Assessments can be made by the system based on measurements which initiate an area-related notification after defining the necessary chain of reporting.
Based on the wildfire sites and their levels of risk, fire and rescue services can be informed of the warning levels that have been automatically activated.
If the danger is imminent, a message can be transmitted directly to your country's public warning system (e.g. MoWaS) and an evacuation message issued to alert residents.
People with homes and businesses caught in the path of an oncoming wildfire are powerless to mitigate it. Their optimal course of action is to evacuate. The best method to deliver public notifications is through mass wildfire warning system alerts transmitted by a solution that is capable of broadcasting them effectively.
