Digital Eyes to Monitor Wildfires in Protected Forests Across Russia
An intelligent early-warning system has been deployed in Buzuluksky Bor National Park to detect fires at an early stage.
“Digital eyes” will now help protect Buzuluksky Bor National Park in Russia’s Orenburg region from wildfires. The park has received a grant from the Presidential Nature Fund and has deployed an intelligent system designed for early fire detection. The system will monitor an area of 100,000 hectares around the clock.
Digital Guards Replace Human Lookouts
According to the park’s administration, eight fire watchtowers that were previously staffed by human observers have been upgraded into high-tech monitoring posts. Each tower is now equipped with special AI-powered cameras that continuously scan the forest. The system can detect smoke long before flames break out, with all data transmitted in real time to the park’s operations center.
The system responds instantly to warning signals and operates 24/7, without weekends or breaks. By protecting protected forests from fire, the intelligent system also helps save the lives of thousands of animals and birds for which these forests are home.
Distinguishing Smoke From Fog and Steam
Earlier, IT-Russia reported on the development of an AI-based system in Russia that detects fires at an early stage by identifying smoke. The system can be installed on standard drones equipped with conventional video cameras and used for rapid surveys of large areas. The technology was developed by engineers at the Moscow Aviation Institute.
The computer vision algorithm analyzes video footage from the drone, determines whether what it sees is smoke or fog or steam, then calculates the coordinates of the fire source and transmits the information to emergency services. According to the institute, the system can detect fires within a radius of up to five kilometers and transmit data within five to seven seconds.
The research team plans to demonstrate a prototype later this year and intends to offer the system for testing by Russia’s emergency services and commercial operators.
