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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Last summer, the Grand Canyon’s North Rim suffered catastrophic damage from the Dragon Bravo Fire. Now, park officials are seeking public input on their long-term recovery plans for the area. -
Grand Canyon National Park is dealing with ongoing recovery efforts from recent flash floods and a destroyed water pipeline, as well as the 20-25 Dragon Bravo Fire.
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When natural disasters hit a community, there’s naturally talk of rebuilding. That work, though, takes workers to do the rebuilding. Saket Soni is director of a group called Resilience Force, which represents people who do this kind of work in what’s called the resilience economy. -
The faster a fire burns, the more severe its ecological impacts. That's one of the findings of a new paper in the journal Science Advances. Climate change only promises to further accelerate those fires, according to its lead author. -
The U.S. Forest Service says it has reopened parts of Oak Creek in Sedona. The popular tourist destination was closed during the Pocket Fire in June.
