Technosylva and Pano AI announce technical integration for wildfire decisions

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsWildland Fire

Wildfire integration aims to connect forecasts and live incident context

Technosylva and Pano AI have announced a partnership to integrate their systems to provide a unified view of wildfire risk and active incidents for utilities, fire agencies and first responders.

In a joint announcement, the companies said the integration will combine Technosylva’s predictive wildfire risk and event analysis with Pano AI’s live camera views and ignition intelligence.

The companies said they are building technical integrations that bring Pano AI’s visual confirmation of smoke and incident intelligence into Technosylva’s wildfire risk and modelling software.

The integration is also intended to allow Technosylva simulations and projections to appear within Pano AI’s incident management environment.

The companies said the goal is to move teams away from separate systems and fragmented context towards a shared operating picture that links current conditions with projected changes.

Planned workflow for utilities and agencies

Michael McGuire, Chief Commercial Officer at Technosylva, said: “We’re working to make it easier for utilities and agencies to align on the same operating picture – pairing the industry standard for predictive wildfire modeling with live AI-enabled incident visibility so teams can coordinate earlier and act with greater confidence as conditions change.”

“When you can see risk and projected behavior alongside verified, real-time incident context, it strengthens decision-making across planning, operations, and response.”

Arvind Satyam, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Pano AI, said: “Early detection and shared situational awareness are critical to reducing time to response and improving coordination.”

“By connecting Pano’s visual intelligence and situational awareness with Technosylva’s predictive analysis, we’re helping teams bring together what they’re seeing now with what the data suggests could unfold next – so they can plan resources, communicate clearly, and respond more effectively.”

Paul McGregor, Vice President of Wildfire Risk Management at Xcel Energy, said: “Bringing Technosylva’s predictive modeling together with Pano AI’s real-time visibility helps our teams connect risk conditions with what’s actually unfolding in the field.”

“That shared picture can improve coordination across our operations and with responding agencies–supporting faster, more confident decisions as incidents evolve.”

The companies said they will work with select mutual customers to validate deployments and refine integration milestones ahead of broader availability.

Patagonia fires fuel calls for more firefighters and prevention resources

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsWildland Fire

Patagonia fires in Los Alerces National Park

Two major wildfires in Argentina’s Patagonia region have burned at least 21,000 hectares of forest and grassland in and around Los Alerces National Park in Chubut province.

Mongabay reported that the fires broke out in January, threatening parts of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Los Alerces National Park spans more than 259,000 hectares and contains the alerce tree (Fitzroya cupressoides), a cypress that can live for more than 3,600 years.

It is also home to species including the monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides) and the Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus).

NASA satellite readings put one fire starting on 5 January in the southern part of the park between the Rivadavia, Futalaufquen and Menéndez lakes.

A second fire broke out on hillsides in the north.

The cause of the fires remained unclear in the reporting, with the prosecutor’s office reportedly confirming one of them was set intentionally.

Around 3,000 residents and tourists were evacuated.

Smoke and fire reportedly spread beyond the park and came close to National Route 40, causing road closures and traffic delays.

A social media post from park officials said high temperatures, low humidity and “constant wind” would continue to be risk factors in the park.

The fires had not been completely extinguished at the time of reporting.

Budget cuts and agency capacity

Environmental groups and analysts have linked the response and prevention challenges to reduced funding and staffing for environmental programmes.

Greenpeace Argentina said: “We demand that the national government and the provinces provide more prevention, firefighters and infrastructure to respond quickly to fires, and penalize the destruction of forests.”

Mongabay cited a financial analysis by the Foundation for Environment and Natural Resources (FARN) which said the environment undersecretariat’s budget shrank by 79.4% between 2023 and 2024.

The same analysis said the National Fire Management Service lost 81% of its budget.

It said the National Fund for the Enrichment and Conservation of Native Forests had no spending for the year.

Greenpeace reported that the National Parks Administration has 400 firefighters and said the minimum should be 700.

Those firefighters were described as covering around 5 million hectares.

Manuel Jaramillo, director of the Wildlife Foundation of Argentina, told Mongabay: “Generally, at the political level, fire begins to be a topic of conversation when there is already a declared fire and when it has reached such magnitude that it has become a public issue.

“There is a lot of preparation, a lot of concern to be able to improve coordination.”

Hernán Giardini, coordinator of Greenpeace’s forests campaign, said: “The climate crisis demands preparation for an increase in fires, and political leaders must stop denying or underestimating this situation.”

The article also reported that Chubut Secretary of Forests Abel Nievas called the incident the “worst environmental tragedy in 20 years.”

New bill targets wildfire smoke contamination rules for reoccupying homes

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

Wildfire smoke standard proposed for home reoccupancy

A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would set statewide, science-based standards for deciding when a home is safe to live in after a wildfire.

The New York Times reported that Assemblymember John Harabedian, whose district includes Altadena, introduced Assembly Bill 1642 on Tuesday.

The bill calls for new health-based guidelines for testing and cleaning homes contaminated by toxic smoke, along with criteria for when a home is safe to reoccupy.

It would assign the California Department of Toxic Substances Control responsibility for developing and specifying the standards.

It would also shift post-fire safety decisions away from insurance companies and towards a public-health agency.

Investigations and background cited by the Times

California has no agreed-upon standards for how to test or clean homes affected by toxic smoke contamination.

The Times said this has allowed insurance companies to dictate what substances to test for and how to address contamination.

Harabedian said: “A lot of families are in this unfortunate and uncertain position of not knowing whether it’s safe to move back.”

“And that’s because there isn’t a statewide standard that is based on science.”

He added: “You would think that we would have a uniform post-fire safety standard and some sort of, you know, objective way of determining that.”

“Unfortunately, what we see is that there isn’t one.”

The Times said the bill was inspired by its earlier investigation into one family’s return to a contaminated home in Altadena.

For that earlier reporting, hair samples from each family member were analysed by a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

The Times reported the tests found the couple and their two children had been exposed to a surge of heavy metals as soon as they returned home.

The article said smoke from modern fires can include gases containing neurotoxins and carcinogens when homes, cars, electronics and consumer goods burn.

It reported that, in Los Angeles County, State Farm and the California FAIR Plan have been placed under investigation in part for their handling of smoke claims.

It said that, in July, the California Department of Insurance created a task force intended to create post-fire remediation standards.

Senator Adam Schiff called for an investigation based on the Times’s findings about insurers’ use of science in smoke-related decisions.

Schiff wrote in an email to The Times: “As families impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires continue to recover and rebuild, it’s critical that insurance companies follow the science and the facts to ensure that families can safely return home, and any allegations of potential manipulation or misleading science should be investigated.”

ExoAnalytic to build fire tracking visualisation tools for Earth Fire Alliance

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

FireSat fire visualisation tools for satellite coverage

ExoAnalytic has been selected to provide software development and visualisation tools for the Earth Fire Alliance (EFA) FireSat programme.

The work includes containerised web applications to depict satellite orbits and the 1,500 km sensor swath coverage for the FireSat Earth observation constellation.

The software is set to include public-facing and secure interfaces.

Users are expected to be able to visualise real-time and upcoming satellite tracks, view observation footprints and explore areas of interest.

Scope of the FireSat programme and planned expansion

The Earth Fire Alliance is a global nonprofit coalition delivering data from wildfires via FireSat, an advanced multispectral satellite constellation built for the wildfire community.

Ben Lane, Vice President of Engineering at ExoAnalytic, said: “Our team excels at turning complex data into clear, interactive visualizations.

“These interfaces will help researchers, first responders and other FireSat users improve critical information-gathering and decision-making, ultimately protecting lives, communities, and ecosystems.”

The FireSat protoflight, built and operated by EFA founding technical partner Muon Space, launched in March 2025, and is already collecting data.

EFA is preparing to expand the constellation to Initial Operational Capability in 2026 with three additional spacecraft, yielding twice daily revisit for six of the world’s most fire-prone geographies.

The full constellation is expected to include up to 50 satellites by 2030, with a global revisit rate of 20 minutes or less.

Sean Triplett, Director of Data Integration and Operations at Earth Fire Alliance, said: “Earth Fire Alliance is committed to using space-based technology to drive long-term change and local action.

“Working with innovative organizations like ExoAnalytic helps us bring that vision to life through powerful visualization tools that make FireSat data accessible and actionable to any organization, regardless of their scale, geography, or resources.”

The partners described the tools as supporting both mission coverage demonstrations and user access to FireSat data.

New bipartisan bill would create FEMA wildfire resilience grant programme

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsWildland Fire

Wildfire resilience grant programme proposed through FEMA

U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Tim Sheehy have announced bipartisan legislation to establish a new Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act grant programme aimed at helping local communities reduce wildfire damage.

In a 7 January 2026 press release from Padilla’s office, the senators said the bill would create a new community hardening grant programme within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and invest $1 billion per year.

The senators said the funding would support Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Plans developed with community members, first responders and relevant state agencies, covering actions such as early detection technology, alerts and warnings, evacuation planning and execution, access for first responders, and measures for vulnerable populations including the elderly and people with disabilities.

The plans would also include hardening critical infrastructure and homes, applying community-scale defensible space across contiguous areas, building local capacity to implement and oversee plans, deploying distributed energy resources such as microgrids with battery storage, strategic land use planning, community education, and coordination with existing wildfire plans including a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

What the bill would fund and how grants would be prioritised

The press release said the bill would provide grants of up to $250,000 to develop a Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Plan and grants of up to $10 million to implement a plan.

It said grants would be prioritised for low-income communities at high risk for fire or wildfire and communities recently impacted by a major wildfire.

The bill would also require a report on federal authorities and programmes to protect communities from wildfires, a study on whether a plan could be used as a certification tool for insurance companies assessing community resilience, ongoing updates to wildfire hazard maps, and an assessment of impediments to emergency radio communications across departments and agencies.

The senators said the bill would also add home hardening as an allowable project under the U.S. Forest Service’s Community Wildfire Defense Grant programme and allow structure hardening to be covered under existing community wildfire protection programmes.

Backers in Congress and endorsements cited in the release

Padilla and Sheehy described themselves as co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate Wildfire Caucus and said Representatives Jared Huffman and Jay Obernolte are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Padilla said: “One year ago today, Pacific Palisades and Altadena families lost loved ones, homes, businesses, places of worship, and so much more as their neighborhoods were reduced to rubble.

“These catastrophic disasters serve as a stark reminder that megafires can devastate both forested and urban areas.

“That’s why I’m working across the aisle with Senator Sheehy to deliver lifesaving federal support to help mitigate the growing risk of catastrophic wildfires and harden our communities and critical infrastructure against disasters.”

Sheehy said: “To keep American cities and towns from burning to the ground and save lives, we must be proactive in aggressively hardening communities against the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfire.

“The Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act delivers the tools needed to better safeguard people, homes, and property from disaster, and I’m proud to support this bipartisan, commonsense effort to make America more wildfire resilient.”

The press release said the bill is endorsed by groups including CalWild, Earthjustice, the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Silvix Resources, Trust for Public Land, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), The Wilderness Society and John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute.

Bushfires destroy hundreds of buildings across Victoria

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

Bushfires: deaths, damage and emergency response

One person has died and hundreds of buildings have been destroyed as bushfires burn across south-east Australia, prompting a state of emergency in Victoria.

BBC News coverage published on 11 January reports that fires have been active for several days across Victoria and parts of New South Wales, driven by hot, dry and windy conditions.

Thousands of firefighters and more than 70 aircraft have been deployed, with residents in more than a dozen communities advised to leave their homes.

Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan said 30 active fires were burning across the state, including 10 of particular concern, with about 350,000 hectares burned as of Sunday morning.

Jacinta Allan said: “We will see fires continue for some time across the state and that is why we are not through the worst of this by a long way.

“There are fires that are continuing right now that are threatening homes and property.”

Police confirmed that human remains were found in the village of Gobur near Longwood, with the victim later identified as Max Hobson.

Smoke from the fires has affected air quality across large parts of Victoria, including metropolitan Melbourne.

Scientists told BBC News that climate change is making hot and dry conditions linked to bushfires more common, while noting that land management practices also influence fire behaviour.

Communities affected as homes destroyed

Several towns have suffered extensive damage, with Harcourt among the hardest hit after dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed.

Firefighter Tyrone Rice lost his own home while responding to fires in the area.

Rice said losing his home was “like a kick in the guts”.

Volunteer firefighter Jess Bell said embers landed on her property before she was forced to evacuate, with her house later spared after a containment line was cut behind it.

Bell said: “Our home was one of the fortunate houses to remain standing.

“Harcourt is devastating to see.”

ABC News live coverage reports that residents returning briefly to fire-affected areas were warned to prepare for emotional distress, with access restricted in some locations due to hazardous trees and fallen powerlines.

Farmers across affected regions reported heavy livestock losses, with the Victorian Farmers Federation estimating that more than 15,000 animals have been lost, a figure expected to rise as assessments continue.

Government and interstate support for response

Interstate assistance has been deployed to support local crews as fire conditions remain severe.

Government of Western Australia confirmed that 38 emergency services specialists were sent to Victoria following a request coordinated through the National Resource Sharing Centre.

The deployment includes frontline firefighters and an Incident Management Team supporting operations in the Barwon South West and Gippsland regions.

Western Australia Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia said: “Our thoughts are with all Victorians who have been impacted by these catastrophic bushfires.

“They will play key roles in the emergency response.”

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said resource sharing allows specialist teams to rotate and provide sustained support.

Additional measures reported by ABC News include mental health support services, emergency grants for uninsured households and recovery hubs offering access to power, water and essential services.

Authorities continue to urge residents to monitor official warnings and prepare for changing conditions as bushfires remain active across multiple regions.

Thermal livestream could speed wildfire detection from orbit to ground

by Featured NewsFire DetectionWildland Fire

Kepler satellites host SAFIRE Gen4 for thermal livestream wildfire data

OroraTech has launched four SAFIRE Gen4 thermal sensor payloads aboard Kepler Communications’ next generation satellites deployed via SpaceX on 12 January 2026 from Munich and Toronto operations.

OroraTech announced that the deployment sets the path to establishing the first thermal livestream of Earth, using Kepler’s optical communications network to deliver persistent, near real time infrared data from orbit to the ground.

The company stated that thermal insights will be computed on orbit and relayed through Kepler’s satellite network, enabling fast wildfire detection and continuous thermal monitoring at a global scale.

Martin Langer, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer of OroraTech, said: “OroraTech is leading the way by delivering the first thermal livestream of the Earth, leveraging Kepler’s always-connected satellite network to have the Earth’s thermal signature in real-time at a global scale.”

“Together with industry partners, we are setting a new global standard for real-time intelligence.”

Mina Mitry, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Kepler Communications, said: “OroraTech is defining the global standard for live environmental intelligence.”

“By leveraging our payload hosting capacity, high-throughput optical communications, and edge compute infrastructure, this partnership demonstrates how the industry can break new ground and deliver on the promise of real-time access to data.”

Satellite network and sensor design for wildfire monitoring

OroraTech described SAFIRE Gen4 as a flexible, space qualified thermal imaging system designed for durability and compatibility across a wide range of orbital platforms.

The SAFIRE family of sensors is flight proven on OroraTech and partner satellites currently in orbit, with the company describing it as the most widely deployed commercial thermal imaging solution to date.

Integrated with Kepler’s next generation satellites, the Gen4 sensors are designed to deliver rapid thermal anomaly detection and high resolution infrared data for environmental monitoring and wildfire intelligence.

Each satellite is described as a 300 kilogram class platform equipped with an advanced networking system that routes data across the constellation before downlinking to ground stations.

Thermal data captured in orbit is routed through the satellite network and delivered to Earth within minutes, with the system intended to reduce detection gaps and improve the speed and global reach of wildfire monitoring.

The announcement outlined how the system is intended to provide persistent infrared data from space to support wildfire detection and response activities.

London Fire Brigade Commissioner sets 2026 priorities in New Year message

by Featured NewsSafetyWildland Fire

London Fire Brigade details 2026 plans for London buildings and evacuation strategies

London Fire Brigade Commissioner Jonathan Smith has issued a New Year message setting out operational priorities for 2026, published on 01/01/2026.

Smith’s statement reflects on events during 2025, outlines current risk areas and describes planned work through 2026.

He also marked 2026 as the 160th year since the Brigade was founded.

Fatalities recalled after Bicester fire

Smith referenced the deaths of London Fire Brigade Leading Firefighter Martyn Sadler, firefighter Jennie Logan and member of the public Dave Chester at a warehouse fire in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

He said the Brigade’s thoughts remained with their families and friends.

Jonathan Smith, London Fire Brigade Commissioner, said: “As we enter the new year, I’d like to thank our firefighters, control officers and staff for their service, working hard to keep London safe every day, particularly those who have worked throughout the Christmas period taking time away from their families.

“The UK Fire and Rescue Service had a challenging year in 2025, as we experienced the tragic loss of our London Fire Brigade colleague Leading Firefighter Martyn Sadler, alongside fellow firefighter Jennie Logan, and member of the public, Dave Chester, at a warehouse fire in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

“Our thoughts remain with their families and friends.”

Terror threat training and civil defence role

Smith said the Brigade completed the rollout of its Marauding Terrorist Attack response capability early in 2025.

He described the training as enabling the Brigade to deploy rescue capability alongside police and ambulance service partners in high threat incidents.

Smith said the message referenced an attack at a synagogue in Manchester and other international incidents as reminders to be prepared for similar threats in London.

Wildfires, specialist vehicles and land management

Smith said the Brigade experienced the highest number of wildfires since the extreme heatwaves of 2022 during summer 2025.

He said a trial of four Wildfire Vehicles showed the benefit specialist vehicles can make when responding across outer London.

Smith said the Brigade has now purchased those vehicles.

He said the Brigade will keep exploring new vehicles, equipment and tactics ahead of summer 2026.

He also said the Brigade would continue working with local authorities across the capital on firebreaks and land management practices intended to reduce wildfire impact.

Lithium battery risk and built environment concerns

Smith said lithium batteries remained one of the fastest growing fire risks in London.

He said the Brigade has worked with the Government and advised on regulation of unsafe, poor quality or non-compliant lithium battery products sold on online marketplaces.

Smith said work in 2026 would include the Brigade’s #ChargeSafe campaign and efforts to identify risks posed by new and emerging technologies.

He also said more than 1,500 buildings in London still had a changed evacuation strategy due to fire safety concerns.

Grenfell recommendations and service improvements

Smith said the Brigade would remain focused during 2026 on improving and delivering a service fit for purpose for a modern global city.

He said this would include making improvements identified in recommendations from Phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry targeted at both London Fire Brigade and fire and rescue services more widely.

Project funding applications open for NFPA and State Farm Wildfire Community Preparedness Day

by Americas - Featured NewsAssociations and OrganisationsFeatured NewsWildland Fire

$10,000 project funding for Wildfire Community Preparedness day

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm have opened applications for Wildfire Community Preparedness Day project funding for activities planned on Saturday 2 May 2026.

Eligible nonprofit organisations can apply for $10,000 to support wildfire risk reduction projects delivered on the day.

Applications must be submitted by Friday 13 February 2026 to be considered.

NFPA said the initiative is aimed at groups and individuals living in wildfire-prone areas completing projects intended to help make homes and communities safer from wildfire.

What the funding is for

Michele Steinberg, Director of the Wildfire Division at NFPA, said: “Preparedness Day presents an ideal opportunity for groups and individuals who live in wildfire-prone areas to come together on a single day and complete projects that can help make their homes and communities safer from wildfire.

“Funding for the 2026 Preparedness Day campaign supports organizations with thoughtful, community-driven plans that help homeowners take meaningful steps to protect what matters most from the threat of wildfire.”

NFPA said Preparedness Day is designed around science-based steps to reduce or remove potential fire hazards from a home and its immediate surroundings.

It said the steps are intended to help protect against embers and radiant heat from wildfires.

Examples of wildfire risk reduction work

NFPA said typical activities can include simple, low-cost home improvement projects to reduce wildfire exposure.

Examples listed include clearing dead leaves, debris and pine needles from roofs and gutters.

It also cited keeping lawns and native grasses mowed to a height of four inches.

Another example given was removing anything stored underneath decks or porches that could burn.

State Farm support for the campaign

Rasheed Merritt, State Farm Corporate Responsibility Assistant Vice President, said: “At State Farm, part of our mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life.

“State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger, better educated communities.”

Merritt said Preparedness Day aims to motivate people to take action, and he said that was why State Farm continues to support the campaign each year.

What this means for wildfire prevention planning

Fire and rescue chiefs, emergency and disaster response managers and local government departments may use the May 2026 date as a fixed point for coordinating community-facing wildfire risk reduction activity.

Fire safety officers, risk assessors and fire engineering consultants may see applications that reference practical measures around ember exposure and heat, based on the examples NFPA set out for work around homes and immediate surroundings.

Procurement officers and facility managers responsible for community sites may need to align any support offered to local nonprofits with the $10,000 project funding limit and the Friday 13 February 2026 application deadline.

Training officers and instructors involved in public education may also use the campaign framing to support consistent messaging about specific, low-cost actions that can be completed in a single day.

UAFA 2025: TracPlus explains how data is reshaping US wildfire aviation

by Aerial FirefightingAssociations and OrganisationsFire SuppressionWildland Fire

TracPlus executive Todd O’Hara discusses the major challenges highlighted at UAFA 2025 and outlines how agencies are using data, technology and modernised systems to improve aerial wildfire response

The United Aerial Firefighters Association (UAFA) held its 2025 Annual Conference in Boise, Idaho, bringing together aerial firefighting operators, agency leaders and technology providers to examine the state of aerial wildfire operations in the United States.

The programme focused on operational readiness, technology modernisation, workforce issues and the rapid evolution of mission intelligence solutions shaping the sector’s future.

Following the event, International Fire and Safety Journal spoke with Todd O’Hara, Chief Product and Revenue Officer at TracPlus, about the themes that dominated this year’s discussions and the role of integrated, real-time data during complex wildfire response.

What are the key themes or challenges that shaped discussions at this year’s UAFA Conference, particularly around aerial firefighting operations?

One major theme is the reality that a lot of aviation and aerial firefighting systems are decades old.

In many cases, the people who built them are no longer around, and the institutional knowledge has gone with them.

That contributes to inefficiencies, data gaps and weaker mission outcomes.

A second theme is the need for real-time operational intelligence.

Agencies need cleaner, more actionable data so they can coordinate better, reduce waste and respond more effectively in high-stakes environments.

Safety and accident prevention is another big focus.

Accidents almost never happen “out of the blue”, there is usually a pattern or chain of events leading up to them.

With the right tools, you can surface non-compliant behaviour before something goes wrong, and that safety lens is part of a lot of discussions.

How is TracPlus evolving its platform to support decision-making and crew safety during complex wildfire response efforts?

We have evolved from our roots as a hardware tracking provider to a SaaS-first company focused on delivering operational intelligence at scale.

A key step in that evolution is FireFlyte, our enterprise platform for aerial firefighting agencies and operators.

It turns raw operational data into actionable insights across four areas: Aerial Firefighting, Safety and Risk Management, Operations and Finance.

A concrete example is CAL FIRE’s new Aviation Tracking and Information System (CATIS), powered by FireFlyte.

CATIS replaces their legacy internal system and the support risks that go along with it.

It gives them faster access to critical information, more efficient aircraft deployment and mission insights and analytics with greater speed and accuracy.

Underpinning it with FireFlyte also provides a platform for more connected processes internally across pre-, during and post-mission activities, where training connects to operations and learning from every mission.

Overall, the goal is real-time, integrated operational intelligence that improves decision-making and safety during complex incidents.

Are there any updates or developments in your US strategy?

Our work with CAL FIRE is proof for us that we are making a meaningful difference where it matters.

They are a flagship customer in the US and a major endorsement of our approach.

CAL FIRE’s CATIS programme shows our ability to replace ageing, home-grown systems with modern, scalable cloud software tailored to aerial firefighting.

We can support fire management operations of all sizes around the world, but FireFlyte, the underlying platform that drives CATIS, positions us to work effectively with large, complex US agencies in a few specific ways.

It helps move them off legacy systems and manual processes.

It supports standardisation on a cloud-based platform.

It enables mission-critical operations to scale across multiple bases and fleets.

Thinking about the conversations we had at UAFA, there’s a general agreement that this is the direction everyone wants to go. Everyone wants to find ways to achieve better outcomes, and we can see a path forward where a foundation based on FireFlyte can modernise other US programmes over time.

From your perspective, where are agencies and operators seeing the most value from real-time tracking and mission intelligence data?

There are a few clear areas where value shows up quickly.

One is operational coordination and efficiency, because cleaner, more actionable data improves coordination, reduces waste and makes resource deployment more effective.

Another is visibility into operations and outcomes.

A lot of the market has historically been “dots on a map”, but the bigger shift is towards understanding mission outcomes, resource utilisation and operational patterns.

Safety is also a major value area.

Using data to identify non-compliant behaviour and risk indicators before they lead to incidents is where data becomes genuinely lifesaving.

Finally, there is proactive decision-making.

With the depth of historical and real-time data we have, agencies can start to anticipate resource needs and optimise deployments based on how a mission is evolving, not just what has already happened.

In short, the most value is where data directly supports coordination, safety and faster, better decisions in the field.

What emerging operational or technological trends should wildfire agencies be preparing for over the next few seasons?

One trend is the shift from basic tracking to full operational intelligence.

The move is from “where is the aircraft?” to “how effective are we being?”, with an emphasis on mission effectiveness, patterns and utilisation, not just positions.

A second trend is proactive mission planning.

Using historical and real-time data, plus machine learning and AI, agencies can move from reactive to proactive operations by anticipating resource requirements, optimising deployment strategies and identifying challenges before they affect the mission.

Integrated safety and compliance tools are also becoming more important, including real-time safety monitoring, automated compliance reporting and stronger documentation for operational accountability and regulatory requirements.

There is also the continued modernisation of legacy systems.

Many agencies will need to replace decades-old, manually driven systems with modern, cloud-based platforms

The overarching theme is that the agencies who will lead over the next few seasons are the ones that treat technology and data as the foundation of operational excellence, not just as a supporting tool.