Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings has announced a partnership with OroraTech USA to integrate satellite-based wildfire intelligence into its IGNIS wildfire operations software platform.
The collaboration will bring OroraTech’s wildfire detection, thermal mapping, fire intensity and predicted fire spread capabilities into IGNIS, which provides situational awareness to state, federal, county and municipal wildfire agencies.
Satellite data supports wildfire response
OroraTech’s Wildfire Solution platform gathers information from more than two dozen public satellites alongside data from its own thermal imaging satellite constellation, which is dedicated to wildfire detection and monitoring.
The information will be incorporated into IGNIS to provide incident management teams and personnel in the field with near real time information to support operational decisions during wildfire incidents.
Technology tested during Oregon wildfire
The companies recently tested the integration during the Grasshopper Fire near Mount Hood in Oregon.
A Bridger Fire Behavior Analyst used a fire perimeter generated from OroraTech satellite heat detections as an input for a fire spread prediction model.
The resulting analysis was distributed through the IGNIS platform and application, providing an assessment of anticipated fire progression during the incident.
Partnership targets faster intelligence
Bridger Aerospace and OroraTech said the collaboration will focus on improving the speed at which wildfire agencies receive actionable information following new fire ignitions.
The companies also intend to provide an independent satellite mapping layer alongside existing agency monitoring, support rapid fire spread modelling and consolidate data sharing, reconnaissance requests and record keeping within the IGNIS platform.
The two organisations plan to pursue joint customer engagements, further validation of wildfire detection and monitoring performance and wider collaboration with wildfire agencies.
Sam Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Bridger Aerospace, said: “This relationship with OroraTech represents a major step toward the future of wildfire response, where the best intelligence from space, the air, and the ground comes together into one operating picture.
“By bringing OroraTech’s satellite-based thermal intelligence into IGNIS, we are working to identify threats earlier, understand fire behavior and put critical intelligence into the hands of crews and incident commanders before our aircraft even reach the fire.
“That has the potential to fundamentally change how quickly and effectively we respond. Together, we are building the intelligence backbone for the modern fire line, connecting information from orbit to the cockpit to the crews on the ground so decision-makers have the clearest, most comprehensive operating picture.”
Thomas Grübler, Co-founder of OroraTech and Chief Executive Officer of OroraTech USA, said: “By partnering with Bridger, we are closing the gap between space, air, and the fireline. We are delivering better intelligence to responders when every minute matters.
“By combining satellite and aerial intelligence, the partnership will help firefighters better understand where a fire is, how it is changing, and where it may spread next, giving incident teams a more complete picture to make faster, more informed decisions.”
