Overview

Do we have enough resources and knowledge to effectively combat fires in the future? In the summer of 2018, heat waves and long months of drought caused uncontrolled wildfires around the world. Were the droughts a harbinger of tomorrow's climate? Fires occur in places where no one would expect them—as in Sweden in 2018. Climatologists and fire researchers are looking for ways to combat the growing threat of fires. In Spain, scientists are testing a model that uses cypress trees as a green fire wall. In Germany, they have developed a unique system for early fire detection. The Firewatch system is equipped with sensors that are a thousand times more sensitive than the human eye and can detect smoke from several kilometers away. As part of the Firebird mission, the German Aerospace Center has launched two satellites into orbit that use infrared cameras to detect areas of elevated temperature on the Earth's surface.