WILDFIRE EARLY DETECTION SYSTEM

The Problem

Wildfire poses a severe risk to both life and property in Utah. Utah’s 2020 fire season has seen wildfires more than triple last year’s numbers. According to Utah’s Department of Agriculture and Food, Utah averages 1,300 wildfires which burn 250,000 acres each year. Current wildfire reporting methods primarily rely on human detection, where incidents are reported using web forms or phone calls, but there is a lack of local, automated wildfire detection systems.

Enter EDWIN

The EDWIN Project (Early-Detection Wildfire Imaging Network) was created to help cities and fire departments automate wildfire detection. This UTOPIA Fiber project was kickstarted as a BYU capstone project in collaboration with UTOPIA Fiber. Using thermal imaging cameras that can identify minute temperature changes in their viewing area, we aim to detect wildfires in their early stages and automatically notify public safety officials. For every minute that the EDWIN Project early-alerts first responders, it is estimated to save between $44,000 and $215,000 in economic loss (which includes $3,029 in firefighting costs).

Managed by the UTOPIA Fiber Smart City team, this project is still in its development stages as we design methods to analyze the live feeds of these cameras to detect potential threats automatically. The goal is to send automated alerts to public safety entities when a potential threat is captured so that they can immediately verify the risk and mobilize accordingly. We are continually expanding and developing this fire-detecting system by installing additional cameras and developing applications to perform analysis.

How We Do It

Our system’s backbone is a network of thermal cameras connected via high-speed fiber-optic connections installed throughout the state. These cameras, powered by UTOPIA Fiber broadband, provide visibility of high-risk areas, particularly those in the Wasatch Front area. We have made these feeds and their analytics accessible to fire departments and other public safety entities to aid them in keeping our cities safe. This project would not be possible without fiber connectivity, which allows immense amounts of data to move instantly and notify officials automatically.

For more information on UTOPIA Fiber, visit UTOPIAFiber.com.