Earlier detection, better response – DLR technologies protect people, nature and infrastructure

Fighting wildfires with cutting-edge technology

Wildfires – a danger to people, nature and the economy
If wildfires are detected early enough, damage can usually be limited. Using airborne and satellite-based early detection and other methods, DLR is working on innovative, modern and robust methods and tools to provide emergency services with the up-to-date, reliable data they need to make the right decisions, quickly, in order to fight the flames.
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Controlled wildfire
In summer 2019, in flight experiments with a swarm of drones in the HEIMDALL project, DLR demonstrated that aircraft equipped with optical cameras and thermal imaging sensors can detect small-scale wildfire hotspots. The drones autonomously surveyed an area and exchanged data with each other.
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FireBIRD for early wildfire detection
The small satellites BIROS (Bispectral InfraRed Optical System) and TET-1 (Technology Experiment Carrier) formed a highly efficient tandem for early wildfire detection in the FireBIRD (Fire Bispectral InfraRed Detector) mission. Their infrared sensor system enabled very precise measurements of the spread and heat development of fires.
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Wildfires pose a serious threat to nature, the economy and society worldwide. They destroy forests, endanger public safety, threaten biodiversity and cause immense ecological and economic damage. Effective monitoring and rapid response are therefore of enormous importance. Satellites, drones, artificial intelligence, real-time maps, simulations and close cooperation with authorities, start-ups and emergency services – for decades we have been intensively involved both nationally and internationally in developing innovative technologies to provide expert support in disaster management. Our work ranges from the forecasting, early detection and monitoring of wildfires to their effective suppression. We begin with new ideas and concepts, continue on to develop promising and proven technologies, and ensure their transfer into operational services. This solution- and goal-oriented research forms the basis of our successful cooperation with public stakeholders and other users.

Research, knowledge transfer, application

We combine technologies from space, aviation, AI and security to address the complexities of modern wildfire monitoring. Competencies range from global detection and agile drone swarms to the real-time provision of data and maps for tactical planning on the ground. By working in close cooperation with emergency services, authorities and other stakeholders from research and industry, we develop powerful emergency management tools to protect people, nature and infrastructure.

Background articles

Satellite-based monitoring and early detection

Satellites make it possible to detect wildfires at an early stage, anywhere in the world – whether an area is populated, remote or hard to reach. In 2001, BIRD became the first DLR satellite specially designed to detect and study fires on Earth's surface.

Airborne systems – rapid delivery of highly detailed local situation reports

In addition to Earth observation satellites, crewed and uncrewed systems such as aircraft and drones provide valuable detailed data from low altitudes. Airborne systems offer decisive advantages for firefighters and rescue services in planning and implementing rapid response operations.

Digitalisation and AI – intelligent analysis and simulation

As data volumes increase, so too does the need for intelligent analysis – which at some point can no longer be managed by humans alone. DLR is applying its expertise in the development of robust high-tech solutions into this area, working on digital platforms and algorithms to automatically analyse satellite and aerial image data.

Support for emergency services and authorities – nationally, across Europe and worldwide

When it comes to fighting wildfires, technology alone is not enough – it has to be integrated into real-world operations. This is why DLR works closely with emergency services, authorities, industry and other stakeholders.

High-tech eyes for the airborne situation picture

For almost 20 years, the Security Research and Applications Department at the DLR Institute of Space Research has been developing highly innovative digital camera systems for crewed and autonomous flying platforms. Under the name MACS (Modular Aerial Camera Systems), an entire family of systems for different applications has been created.

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Participating DLR institutes and facilities

Earth Observation Center EOC

EOC comprises the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) and the Remote Sensing Technology Institute (IMF), at work in Oberpfaffenhofen, Neustrelitz, Berlin-Adlershof and the Maritime Safety Research Department in Bremen

German Remote Sensing Data Center DFD

With its national and international ground stations, the German Remote Sensing Data Center at DLR´s Earth Observation Center EOC provides direct access to the data from Earth observation satellites, processes the data into information products, distributes them to the users and stores all the data in the German Satellite Data Archive (D-SDA) on a long-term basis.

Crisis Information

ZKI is an institution of the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) at DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen. At ZKI Earth Observation data such as satellite or aerial imagery as well as geo data is acquired and analysed in order to generate up-to-date situational awareness information before, during or after a disaster situation or in case of major events.

Institute of Space Research

The DLR-Institute of Space Research is a world-leading competence center for optical sensor systems and their application in planetary research, Earth observation and security.

Institute of Communications and Navigation

The Institute of Communications and Navigation develops and investigates new systems and methods for radio transmission and radiolocation.

Space Operations and Astronaut Training

DLR Space Operations is the central institution for spaceflight operations in Germany. This responsibility includes satellite missions for Earth observation, science and communication missions as well as the exploration of the Solar System and human spaceflight missions.

Institute of Flight Guidance

The Institute of Flight Guidance is working on the development and application of future processes and technologies for the integrated airborne and ground-based guidance of aircraft.

Institute of System Architectures in Aeronautics

Aeronautics is digitalised from aircraft design through to production and operation. This continuous availability of all data is known as the digital thread.

Institute of Software Technology

The mission of the Institute of Software Technology is research and development in software engineering technologies, and the incorporation of these technologies into DLR software projects.

Multimedia

The International Charter Space and Major Disasters
The Charter is a worldwide collaboration, through which satellite data are made available for the benefit of disaster management. By combining Earth observation assets from different space agencies, the Charter allows resources and expertise to be coordinated for rapid response to major disaster situations; thereby helping civil protection authorities and the international humanitarian community.

The International Charter Space and Major Disasters

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The International Charter Space and Major Disasters
The Charter is a worldwide collaboration, through which satellite data are made available for the benefit of disaster management. By combining Earth observation assets from different space agencies, the Charter allows resources and expertise to be coordinated for rapid response to major disaster situations; thereby helping civil protection authorities and the international humanitarian community.
PHAROS: System solution for catastrophe management
Three DLR-institutes collaborated in developing the multifunctional catastrophe management system PHAROS. Within the new system, situation information can be recorded, collected, processed and distributed integrally. PHAROS serves as a communication platform for the diverse emergency task force and can also be used to give warnings to the general public. During a controlled forest fire in Spain, the system proved its functionality.

PHAROS: System solution for catastrophe management

Your consent to the storage of data ('cookies') is required for the playback of this video on Youtube.com. You can view and change your current data storage settings at any time under privacy.

PHAROS: System solution for catastrophe management
Three DLR-institutes collaborated in developing the multifunctional catastrophe management system PHAROS. Within the new system, situation information can be recorded, collected, processed and distributed integrally. PHAROS serves as a communication platform for the diverse emergency task force and can also be used to give warnings to the general public. During a controlled forest fire in Spain, the system proved its functionality.

Related links

European Earth observation

Copernicus

The EU Copernicus programme provides a powerful infrastructure for Earth observation and geoinformation services. The website offers information on Copernicus at European and national level, as well as general information on satellite Earth observation in Germany.

Earth Observation Center (EOC)

ZKI Fire Monitoring System

This DLR system provides up-to-date information on forest fires in Europe over the last 31 days. It is based on satellite data from MODIS and Sentinel-3 OLCI. A fully automated approach was developed for the evaluation in order to monitor burned areas and their spatial development in real time.

German Space Agency at DLR

Earth & Climate

Observing Earth and its ecosystems from space is one of the most important tasks of spaceflight. From orbit, it is possible to recognise changes in land surfaces, oceans and the atmosphere and develop measures to protect the environment and our climate. Satellite-based Earth observation thus provides a basis for decision-making on international treaties, such as those protecting the ozone layer or combating global warming. It also helps to monitor compliance with such treaties, as well as providing information for official bodies, enabling habitat mapping, helping to optimise agricultural subsidies and in the planning of mobile phone systems.

DLR-approved analysis procedure

OroraTech

Wildfire Solution is a satellite-based platform for the early detection of fire sources and the continuous monitoring of endangered areas. It uses data from over 25 satellites and an AI-supported analysis method licensed by DLR to obtain reliable results in near real time – thereby protecting people, nature and property.

Innovation Lab

OPTSAL

The Optical Technologies for Situational Awareness Lab, OPTSAL for short, is an innovation lab at the DLR Institute of Space Research in Berlin and a unique development and testing environment that brings together scientific expertise and the needs of users and industry. OPTSAL provides infrastructure for developing new optical technologies, methods and functional chains for situational awareness in collaboration with users, scientists and companies, and for validating them from an operational perspective.

DLR technology

MACS – Modular Aerial Camera Systems

They have surveyed the Himalayas, recorded glacier data in the Arctic and support rescue teams in major disaster situations – MACS (Modular Aerial Camera Systems) is a flexible family of airborne camera systems from DLR with unique technical capabilities. Among other things, the cameras are characterised by a high degree of technological and application maturity, which is why they have been used for many years in demanding missions and, above all, for security applications worldwide.

Project

COLOSSUS

In this EU-funded project coordinated by DLR, a system-of-systems design method is being developed that will enable the combined optimisation of aircraft, operations and business models for the first time. The resulting solutions for forest firefighting and intermodal transport, as well as the methods and tools developed, will be made publicly available to promote their use in research and industry.

Satellite mission

EnMAP

The Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP) mission is the first hyperspectral satellite developed and built in Germany. With its two spectrometers, it analyses the solar radiation reflected from Earth's surface at wavelengths ranging from visible light to short-wave infrared – at a hitherto unparalleled spectral resolution.

Project

TEMA

In the TEMA project, technologies and processes are being developed to provide the best possible support to authorities and first responders in preparing for natural disasters and in disaster management. One focus of the research work is on the further development of the AI-based extraction of forest fire and flood events from remote sensing data as well as the integration of other, heterogeneous data sources into the analysis process. Users will be informed at an early stage when it will be possible to update the situational picture with information from earth observation.

Mission

FireBIRD

Forest fires and fires in savannah regions are increasing in frequency and severity across the world. According to rough estimates, between 20 and 25 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions are caused by forest fires and other uncontrolled fires.

Contact

Philipp Burtscheidt

Senior editor DLR media relations
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Corporate Communications
Linder Höhe, 51147 Cologne
Tel: +49 2203 601-2323