Several small fires will be lit along a Vernon, B.C., road this week as the city tests out SenseNet, an early wildland fire detection system.
The City of Vernon was selected for at-scale testing of this emergent technology in 2022, and on Dec. 14 and 15, people living in the area may see smoke from small test fires, which will be approximately one metre by one metre in size.
The testing, a cooperative effort with SenseNet, Rider Ventures and VFRS, will rely upon the many sensors, gateways and cameras that have been installed throughout Vernon’s higher-risk areas to provide a web of early fire detection.
Eastide Road is where the testing is expected to take place.
A key advantage of the system is its ability to share information with others using the same system, expanding its capacity.
The testing schedule may be adjusted due to weather and site conditions.
“Early detection is a powerful tool in managing fires,” Fire Chief David Lind said in a press release.
“When we get fuel mitigation and early detection right, and have an adequate response, the fires typically go out while they are still manageable. Early detection is also key for moving people out of the way when fast-moving fires do occur. These tests will provide for system validation, in a controlled setting, and for fine tuning as needed.”
In the face of the severe wildfires impacting Canada, their proactive measures are essential in effectively protecting our communities.
The sensors collect data in real time about environmental conditions and an algorithm processes the data to look for anomalies that might indicate a fire.
“For example, increasing temperature, decreasing humidity, increasing CO, CO2 levels or abrupt changes in the NO2 level or methane levels,” Shahab Bahrami, Sensenet’s chief technology officer said in an interview earlier this year.
“These detections are very sensitive so any small changes that are abnormal can be detected by our AI algorithms.”
The business says it’s previously successfully tested the technology in Vancouver and Williams Lake and is now looking to train its algorithm in a different climate and try to cut down on false alarms.
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