In response to devastating wildfires, Israel has developed the world’s first forecasting system for wildland fires.
Developed by researchers in reaction to the record-breaking Carmel Forest fire of 2010, the Matash Fire Forecasting System crunches various data to predict how a forest fire will spread, which can help fire officials make best use of firefighting resources, according to a report on israel21c.org (http://bit.ly/1d8QeVi).
Israeli researchers first made a simulation to see how such a system could have helped in managing the Carmel fire, and were so impressed with its potential that they decided to take the technology live.
Read more about the development at http://bit.ly/1d8QeVi.
Currently there are more than 10 significant wildland fires burning in the American West, including a rapidly growing fire near Yosemite in California, and this year’s deadly Black Forest Fire was the worst in Colorado history. The fires this year have resulted in numerous deaths of wildland firefighters, including 19 members who were battling the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona.
For more on wildland firefighting, consider Delivering a Wildland Fire Training Program to a Structural Fire Department, THE WILDLAND INTERFACE: IMPACT ON LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS, Tactical Decision Points: Proactive Wildland Fire Risk Management, and USFA offers wildland fire training for rural fire departments.
