Wildfires are back. On a single day—July 16, 2024—732,099 acres burned, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Agency data also showed that of 59 active large fires, only four were contained—and that’s just in the U.S. Canada is bracing for another summer full of blazes after experiencing its warmest winter ever.
It would seem we are off to another rollicking “wildfire season.” But wildfire season as we know it no longer exists. Technically, it’s defined by the dates of the first and the last large fires of the year, and it typically affects the Western U.S. for about five to seven months, starting around June.
But a changing climate is causing fires to start earlier, last longer, and reach wider geographic areas than ever before.
Although the first major wildfire of 2024 wasn’t recorded until June, there were smaller fires in the Plains back in April 2024, by which time 9,458 fires were already registered. Today’s wildfires are causing more destruction, too. Data shows wildfires are “becoming more widespread, burning nearly twice as much tree cover today as they did 20 years ago.” And places people typically don’t associate with big wildfires, like Hawaii, Louisiana, and Florida, are facing unprecedented blazes.
If we’re going to mitigate the impacts of today’s wildfires, we’re going to have to adapt.
How to Adapt
“What you have is food, transportation, shelter, and healthcare that's adapted to the effects of climate change. Just like we're going to have to decarbonize everything in our economy and society, we're going to have to make it resilient to the effects of climate change as it now unfolds.” – Jay Koh, Co-Founder and Managing Director, The Lightsmith Group.
Climate adaptation is simultaneously a global and local effort. Local governments, regulators, national agencies, and utilities can all collaborate to mitigate the impacts of wildfires. Solutions are generally quite practical, and technology has an outsized role to play in helping us curb and prepare for wildfires as much as possible:
- Track Contributing Factors: There are several factors that play into where a wildfire could spark, how big it could get, which direction it might spread, how fast it will travel, where air quality could be affected, and what evacuations may be necessary. These factors include wind speed, temperature, fuel moisture, vegetation health, elevation, drought, the likelihood of rain, and lightning strikes. With this kind of information, we can assess potential dangers with a new level of granularity so we can divert resources to the right areas in advance of (or shortly after) the start of a fire.
- Leverage Data and Analytics: With advances in AI and predictive modeling using multiple data sources, we now have excellent insights into predicting wildfire ignitions and spread. In fact, AI can now estimate wildfire risk four days in advance, enabling teams to make critical decisions on things like Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), recloser settings, and retardant spraying for mitigation.
- Employ Advanced Imaging: To fight wildfires, we need to see what’s happening. We can map wildfires relatively quickly using images from airplanes, helicopters, and drones. Satellite imagery is critical too; according to NASA, satellites are often the first to detect a wildfire, and they can scan large areas and pinpoint potential trouble spots for a fraction of the cost of other options. Other imaging technologies, like LiDAR, provide complementary data.
- Prioritize Vegetation Management and Infrastructure Asset Inspection & Monitoring: With this trove of information being collected about risks and conditions before, during, and after a fire, we can proactively manage vegetation, trimming back when and where needed or initiating a controlled burn. We can also engage in asset management tasks, like clearing debris that is close to power lines, to reduce the chances of ignition or spotting defective or risky assets such as leaning poles. Additionally, utilities can make grid-hardening decisions based on the latest data to reduce potential fire damage, save lives, and lower expenses.
- Shift to a More Proactive, Condition-Based Approach: When it comes to trimming back vegetation to prevent or abate wildfire impacts on homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure, the typical method is to do so on a time-based cycle. A better way is to shift to a condition-based or risk-based trim plan, which lets utilities prioritize resources and tactically address areas where the threats are greatest. By examining the characteristics and conditions that enable fires to spark and spread, by relying on data rather than what month of the year it is, we take a vital step towards adaptation and mitigation.
New Opportunities
Just as cyber security technology continues to evolve to protect against threats, climate-related technologies will evolve as well. It is a space of opportunity. We can get better. In fact, a group of leading financial and philanthropic organizations, including the Bezos Earth Fund, GARI, MSCI Sustainability Institute and The Lightsmith Group, recently released a report and toolkit for investors on climate resiliency solutions.
Paul Bodnar, Director of Sustainable Finance, Industry, and Diplomacy at the Bezos Earth Fund noted, "If we treat adaptation as an obscure topic for governments to worry about, we risk stifling the private sector innovation urgently needed to stimulate creative solutions for the world's most vulnerable populations adjusting to weather volatility and heat."
Consider what’s possible if we commit to climate adaptation by leveraging technology and embracing innovation.
There are huge advances we can implement today, and with investment in climate adaptation technology, at every level, innovation will accelerate. With such focus, we can make critical industries more resilient and minimize the incredible harm done by wildfires.
