Wildfires and Tech: A False Promise of Automation?

Wildfires have ravaged France, Spain, and Portugal in recent years, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. The images are all too familiar – firefighters battling flames, planes dropping water, and an endless cycle of destruction. Amidst this chaos, one question lingers: can technology replace human firefighters in the battle against wildfires?

The answer is a resounding no, according to many experts. Chief Sergeant Guillaume Millet, a 24-year veteran of France’s Fire and Rescue Service, says that while technology has improved fire detection, it cannot yet replace human ingenuity and brawn on the ground. “It can help us with detection,” he explains, “but it’s not technology that puts out fires; you need people to pull the hoses through the forest to attack them.”

Millet is echoed by FireTracking’s CEO Jean-Simon Chaudier, who notes that while AI-assisted cameras can detect fires up to 20 kilometers away with near-total certainty, they are no substitute for human firefighters. “Every minute counts,” he emphasizes, “but it’s not technology that saves lives; it’s people on the ground.”

The French civil protection service has invested heavily in technological solutions, including solar-powered drones and sensors placed among trees to detect gases released before flames become visible. However, these advancements are still in their infancy, and Millet remains skeptical about the potential for automation.

In fact, he believes that technology is being oversold as a panacea for wildfires. “The usefulness of technology is very limited in this area,” he insists. “It can help us with detection, but it’s not a replacement for human effort.”

The French start-up Daidelos is attempting to raise investment for a heavy-lifting, petrol-engine drone that could potentially replace human firefighters in the future. While this technology holds promise, we must remain cautious about its limitations and potential consequences. As Chaudier notes, “It would not be able to do anything against a wildfire once it’s really got going.”

Wildfires require a human touch – not just to fight them, but also to understand their complexity and unpredictability. It’s the firefighters on the ground who pull the hoses and extinguish fires, not technology. This nuance is lost in the hype surrounding tech solutions, which often focus on detection and early response rather than the actual firefighting process.

Moreover, as we push for greater automation, we risk neglecting the human factor that has always been at the heart of firefighting. The work of firefighters involves assessing risks, adapting to changing conditions, and making split-second decisions in high-pressure situations. Supporting our human firefighters with better training, equipment, and working conditions would undoubtedly make their job safer – and more effective.

Rather than chasing after technological silver bullets, perhaps we should focus on supporting our human firefighters with the resources they need to do their jobs effectively. This might not be as flashy or attention-grabbing as a drone with 1.2 tonnes of water, but it would undoubtedly be a step in the right direction.