Utilizing New Technology to Reduce and Manage Wildfire Risk
Image provided via Unsplash
By Mel Bearns
Extreme heat driven by climate change is fueling raging wildfires across not just the western region but in many other states in the U.S. and Canada at unprecedented rates. Firefighters are increasingly observing unusual fire behavior that defies past experiences, and the 2024 fire season started earlier than usual and is showing no signs of abating any time soon. As wildfires become more prevalent and unpredictable, and the clear and present danger to communities near fire-prone areas increases, obtaining a better understanding of everything that leads to fire causation and how to prepare and mitigate loss has become more critical than ever.
As first responders and firefighters look for new and better ways to counter and arrest the progress of wildfire to protect lives and property, data-driven technology is being used to develop a deeper understanding of fire behavior – and how to fight it more effectively. One of the companies leading the way is XyloPlan, with its proprietary risk assessment and prioritized mitigation technology. The newly unveiled technology enables precise assessments of wildfire risks by integrating factors like topography, weather, and potential ignition sources through sophisticated modeling of multiple fire season scenarios. This method not only predicts the likelihood of wildfires but also evaluates their potential intensity, a crucial step in planning and mitigation.
"Based on direct experience and lessons learned working with fire departments, we are offering a solution that is optimized for protecting human lives and structures and will facilitate bringing beneficial fire to the landscape in fire-prone areas," said Scott Cheeseman, CEO of XyloPlan.
At the heart of XyloPlan's strategy is its proprietary Fire Pathways technology, which identifies and disrupts the routes fast-moving wildfires are likely to take, allowing for more targeted and effective responses. In addition to piloting their approach with a broad and diverse range of municipal, development, utility, and insurance clients and partners, XyloPlan has worked closely with veteran Fire Chief Dave Winnacker to address many inconsistencies in existing wildfire risk assessment protocols and mitigation prescriptions. This collaboration has led to the development of an analytics platform that assesses the risk for fast-moving wind-driven wildfires and provides vegetation treatment recommendations to disrupt the routes where an approaching wildfire could outpace firefighters.
"Slow-moving high-intensity fires aren't burning down homes because firefighters have time to defend structures prior to the fire's arrival, and traditional fuel breaks are immediately ineffective the moment they are breached by fire in a single location," Chief Winnacker said. "Traditional approaches are modeling wildfire risk and prioritizing mitigations to reduce intensity, while we need to focus our initial efforts on defending structures and critical infrastructure from the fast-moving fires associated with conflagration level structure loss."
Insurance companies and local governments stand to benefit significantly from this technology, as it offers enhanced tools for underwriting and resource allocation, making wildfire defense more proactive and preventative. By focusing on the paths of wildfires rather than merely the intensity, XyloPlan's approach shifts the paradigm from traditional reactive methods to a more strategic, preventive stance that could fundamentally change how communities prepare for and respond to wildfires.
As extreme weather conditions and wildfires continue to impact communities across the country, the introduction of such technologies is timely and could prove crucial in safeguarding lives, properties, and ecosystems in fire-prone areas.