Mapping Wildfires

Software programs used to analyze and project the paths of wildfires are playing a more crucial role than ever as climate change threatens to increase fire activity in many parts of the world. Although computers have been used for years to project possible scenarios base on multiple factors like wind, weather, terrain, types of vegetation, and drought levels, improvements in technology and computing power are making these tools faster and more precise.

Data collection can now be done in real-time using drones, satellites, and infrared cameras. Programs based on complex principles of computational fluid dynamics can now model the real physical forces that drive wildfires. And high-speed communication, coupled with cloud-based computing power, enables information to be transferred faster than ever while allowing for continual updates of the underlying algorithms.

In the end, the goal is to help first responders by providing more accurate projections as early as possible.