Electronic “noses” sniff out forest fires in Germany

In the German region of Brandenburg, where fires are more frequent than in the rest of the country, authorities are testing sensors powered by solar energy to detect flames just minutes after they start to ignite.

In the heart of the Eberswalde forest, some 50 kilometers northeast of Berlin, Juergen Mueller feeds the flames of a bonfire with pine branches, a highly flammable tree species ubiquitous in the region.

It is not long before the first wisps of smoke begin to appear.

The 69-year-old retired forestry expert is testing a green and black, solar-powered device that can detect gases released during the first phase of a fire.

These devices were created two years ago by a Berlin start-up he co-founded, Dryad Networks, and are equipped with ultra-sensitive gas sensors developed by German engineering firm Bosch.

The sensors, which are attached to trees, work as “an electronic nose” They also control temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure.

“In 10 or 15 minutes we can detect an incipient fire before it becomes a fire”assures this expert, who claims that they are faster than traditional systems.

400 sensors

With the help of artificial intelligence, the sensor detects the difference between an incipient fire or, for example, the smoke left behind by a passing diesel truck.

In his lab in Eberswalde, Mueller also teaches the device to distinguish between different types of fires, by exposing it to smoke from different woods.

Thus, the sensor learns “how the smoke of a pine or beech fire smells”Explain.

As soon as the fire is detected, the data is sent to a cloud surveillance system and fire crews are alerted.

In the Eberswalde forest they placed some 400 sensors, one device on every hectare, as part of a pilot project with municipal authorities to test the reliability of the system.

Dryad Networks notes that 10 countries, including the United States, Greece and Spain, are already experimenting with its sensors.

The company sold about 10,000 widgets last year. By 2030 it wants to have 120 million installed worldwide.

Mediterranean conditions

Raimund Engel, Brandenburg’s forest protection officer, sees the sensors as a useful complement to the visual detection methods currently used in the region.

From the top of 105 towers, 360-degree rotating cameras keep an eye on the surroundings like forest rangers once did.

At the fire surveillance center in Wuensdorf, south of Berlin, Engel controls the broadcast images and activates the alarm if he perceives any danger.

With 521 fires registered in 2022, Brandenburg is the region most affected by this phenomenon in Germany.

“Due to climate change”, The weather conditions in this forest area are “very similar to those of some Mediterranean regions”, “with periods of drought and temperatures that sometimes reach 40ºC”says Engel.

Early intervention is key so that the fires do not get out of control, he says. “The faster we detect the fire, the faster firefighters can get to the scene.”

Source: AFP