As Calif. wildfires rage, technology used to track blazes

Computerworld - With 14 major wildfires ravaging thousands of acres of land, homes and businesses across Southern California, high-tech tools such as GPS technology, satellite imaging systems and aerial photography have been helping firefighters and other officials track the destructive paths of the massive blazes.

But while technology can be helpful, right now it's no match for the powerful Santa Ana winds fueling the fires, which continue to build in intensity and destructiveness. So far, upward of 500,000 people have been forced from their homes.

"Tried and true methods [including water, manpower and creating firebreaks] are being used now to try to get things under control," said MaryAnn Aldrich, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) in Sacramento. With conditions so volatile, the most important task becomes the age-old practice of fighting the fires, protecting lives and immediately dealing with the situation at hand, she said. Later, when the winds die down, firefighters can turn to technology to help them do their jobs, she said.

Firefighters have begun using various GPS technologies to map out the progress of wildfires over the last several years, Aldrich said. They are also trying out other kinds of high-tech aids, such as devices that use infrared images to "see" moisture levels in shrubs and grasses. "We're always striving to stay on the cutting edge," Aldrich said.

So far, fires are burning in seven counties -- San Diego, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura -- and states of emergency have been declared in those counties, according to Cal Fire.

Glenn Nader, the natural resources adviser for the University of California Agricultural Extension in Yuba City, said one technology that continues to help firefighters is geographic information system (GIS) mapping data, which can be combined in layers to provide details on topography, fire history, roads, access and population. "It gives you kind of a plan," Nader said.

Also critical is the use of GPS navigational technology to help firefighters arriving from other areas during emergencies, he said. Because they are from out of town, they don't know where fire hydrants and other water supplies are, so they can use the GPS tools on their trucks to quickly find water supplies to battle the blazes, he said.

Reverse 911 systems are also being used, Nader said. They enable police and fire officials to quickly issue evacuation notices to thousands of residents at a time. "They can target a community and tell everyone to evacuate," he said. "Sometimes when you've got these kinds of fires, you've got to rely on technology to let people know that an evacuation is being ordered."