Challenges

Increasingly severe forest fires, increasing water scarcity, climate change and CO₂ emissions are challenges for emergency services in modern aerial forest firefighting. New technologies are needed that enable faster extinguishing, lower water consumption, more efficient helicopter operations and safer flights, with better water efficiency and digitally supported firefighting. CAURUS Technologies digitally assisted firefighting technology can complement existing practices, protect lives, save resources, reduce CO₂ emissions and increase the cost-effectiveness of operations.

Increasingly fierce wildfires

Wildfires are a growing and global issue, exacerbated by climate change: Climate change is causing high temperatures, low humidity and more wind. In combination those lead to the drying out of water in upper soil layers, thus creating combustible biomass that ignites easily and causes wildfires to spread quickly. Wildfires have become fiercer in recent years and have also started to flare up in previously unaffected areas, creating enormous human and wildlife suffering. Wildfires have in recent years caused more than $100 billion impact annually on average.

Water Scarcity

At the same time, the use of water to extinguish a forest fire creates a two-pronged problem. The available water resources, which are already reduced in periods of extreme drought, are put under even greater stress by the extraction of extinguishing water. In the case of wildfires, extinguishing water is usually drawn from open bodies of water (streams, rivers, ponds, etc.) or wells. This extinguishing water requirement from water bodies can increasingly only be met to a limited extent or not at all during dry periods. At the same time, the discharge of extinguishing water after a fire leads to erosion, contamination of drinking water sources and pollution of the environment.

CO₂ emissions

Every wildfire sets free CO₂ emissions. An average of 6.9 GiTo of CO₂ emissions per year have been released by wildfires in the last 20 years. That is about 20% of industrial, power and transport combined, and twice as much as all 27 members of the European Union in the same period. In addition, burnt forest can no longer function as a carbon sink.

Safety Risks for Firefighters

Last but not least, each firefighting operation against wildfires poses a risk to the firefighting forces. Regardless of whether they are fighting the fire on the ground or flying as pilots in low altitude over a sea of flames and across difficult terrain, their proximity to the fire inferno poses a risk to their life and health. Crashes occur time and again when pilots have to fly close to the fire to achieve "impact drops". Better water efficiency and digitally aided fire detection means faster extinguishing, reduced water use, efficient helicopter deployment and safer flights for pilots. Thus, complementing existing practices, protecting lives, saving resources, reducing CO₂ emissions and increasing cost efficiency of operations.

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The wildfire threat is growing - we need to act now!

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