Having seen roughly 1,200 since January, Arizona is no stranger to wildfires. This week, the federal government announced a new $20 million initiative to combat them in the western U.S. using advanced satellite technology and artificial intelligence.
The goal is to improve emergency response times with more precise data on conditions and smoke patterns.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration partnered with the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture to track and detect wildfires using satellites, supported by funds from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
They’ll use satellites to gather information that a system using artificial intelligence analyzes to quickly and automatically detect wildfires, and then display the fire's location, intensity, and other relevant information on a dashboard for forecasters and land managers.
The satellites will also be used for air quality forecasting and to help communities respond to smoke-related health effects.
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Officials: DOGE contract reviews holding up millions of dollars of fire projects in northern ArizonaOfficials in northern Arizona say millions of dollars in wildfire prevention projects funding are being held up by the Trump administration. Coconino County officials are concerned the slow up is hampering efforts ahead of any new fires this year. -
Coconino National Forest officials planned four different burns over some 6,000 acres of forest this week. The fires range from near Sedona to east of Flagstaff. -
A former firefighter has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to setting several fires in northern Arizona in 2023. -
A bill passed that would allow for the Department of Defense to sell excess military planes and parts for wildfire fighting efforts. The bill still needs to go through the House. -
Arizona fire officials said widespread federal funding cuts have not impacted mitigation efforts ahead of what is expected to be a very active wildfire season in the state.
