Austria has a new way to fight wildfires! They’re using smarts from artificial intelligence (AI) to predict where fires might start. Here’s the trick: the AI learns from the movements of runners and cyclists who use tracking apps. The more people moving through forests and woods, the higher the wildfire risk, according to the experts.
The more people in the woods, the bigger the wildfire risk, says Kevin Mallinger from SBA Research which developed the new wildfire prediction tool together with Xylem Technologies for the Ministry of Agriculture.
Why? Because most wildfires, around 95% in Europe, are accidentally started by people. This can happen from things like campfires, cigarette butts, or even broken power lines. By tracking where people go, the AI can guess where these accidents might be more likely. This way, firefighters can be more prepared to jump in before things get out of control.
It’s a clever idea, especially considering how bad wildfires were in Europe last year, with over half a million hectares of land burned.
See the full video at CGTN
