With climate change and weather severity forest fires and wild fires are out of control. The importance of putting these fires out quickly can’t be overstated. Forests, wildlife, economy, health, fish spawning are just a few considerations.

Smoke kills millions of people and the fires release toxin back in the air where smoke has travelled from Russia to North America.

Infrared is used in a limited capacity when fighting forest or wild fires. Bird dogs will fly the front of the fire directing directing bombers dropping water of fire retardent. Infrared is used behind the fire looking for hot spots where crews GPS them and put out the hot spot.

Infrared isn’t used from the air to track the direction of the fires through smoke giving lead time to fire fighters on the ground. Determination of the direction of the fire could be seen providing sight to Fire Command. Infrared isn’t used by water bombers giving them sight through the smoke so they can utilize resources more effectively. Infrared isn’t used to potential fighting the fires, protecting economy, infrastructure, power lines, cell towers, timber leases or for reasearch and education. Here is a time-lapsed infrared video of a forest fire, note the flying embers starting fires in front of the main fire.

Here is a picture of an interface fire coming towards a city and the valley was smoked in so they couldn’t see the fire coming.

More information is available at our Fire Page.