TracPlus examines human factors in wildland firefighting AI use

by Aerial FirefightingAI & Deep LearningFeatured NewsResearchWildland Fire

Wildland firefighting AI accountability

TracPlus has published a new white paper examining how aerial agencies can manage the adoption of artificial intelligence with transparency and accountability.

The document, titled AI Makes the Call. Who Answers for It?, provides an industry-informed perspective on the increasing role of automated systems in fire operations.

TracPlus is an operational data infrastructure provider that monitors more than 2,500 wildfire suppression aircraft across 44 countries.

The paper identifies that AI systems are already influencing how decisions are made while governance structures are still in a state of evolution.

National agencies including CAL FIRE, New Zealand’s Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and Australia’s national aerial firefighting program use the platform as their system of record.

The infrastructure holds more than a billion flight records and collects approximately one million new operational data points every day.

Operational data and human judgment

The white paper highlights how AI systems can change how human judgment is applied during wildland firefighting operations.

Research indicates that the reliability of these tools depends on the quality and visibility of the underlying data.

Todd O’Hara, Chief Commercial Officer at TracPlus, said: “AI is becoming part of the operational toolkit, and that’s a positive development.

“The opportunity for agencies is to introduce it in a way that preserves visibility into what’s happening, why recommendations are being made, and how those decisions play out over time.”

The proposed approach involves running AI recommendations alongside human decisions and maintaining an independent operational record.

Agencies can use this data to establish a baseline and evaluate the performance of new technologies over time.

California lawmakers introduce Megafire Prevention bill package spanning homes and prescribed fire

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsWildland Fire

Megafire prevention package set out in Sacramento

More than a dozen bills were highlighted in Sacramento as part of the 2026 “Joint Megafire Prevention Package”, focused on reducing destructive megafires in California.

Megafire Action highlighted the package alongside FireWERX, the California Fire Safe Council and the Karuk Tribe, with the respective bill authors

The release described the package as covering home hardening, resilience loan financing, expansion of existing fire mitigation programmes, and measures intended to support beneficial fire.

It said the work is a priority for fire mitigation advocates following the 2025 megafires in Los Angeles.

Eric Horne, California Director of Megafire Action, said: “We honor the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires not only by helping communities rebuild, but by making government work better before disaster strikes.

“We honor the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires not only by helping communities rebuild, but by making government work better before disaster strikes,” Horne said.

Bills target home hardening, county capacity and technology adoption

Senator Ben Allen described SB 894 as using financing, planning and technology to reduce fire risk, and linked the bill to insurance availability and premium pressures.

Senator Josh Becker said SB 973 would direct CAL FIRE to develop guidance and recommended standards for local entities assessing wildfire risk and prioritising wildfire mitigation activities.

Becker said SB 973 would also expand the Wildfire County Coordinator Program.

Jacy Hyde, PhD, Executive Director of the California Fire Safe Council, said: “By strengthening county capacity, SB 973 ensures California’s wildfire investments deliver real risk reduction where it matters most—on the ground, in high-risk communities.”

Senator Henry Stern said California should reduce risk through a more efficient, innovative, community scaled approach.

Chris Anthony, Founder and CEO of FireWERX, said Stern’s Fire Innovation Unit Act would create a pathway to identify operational needs, co-develop solutions with firefighters, evaluate them and move tools from pilots to statewide deployment.

The release said SB 1079 would create a Fire Innovation Unit within CAL FIRE to identify firefighter needs, source technologies, prototype solutions and scale successful technologies across three programmes.

Assemblymember Steve Bennett said his six bills aim to reduce risk in the built environment by aligning certification, incentives, insurance transparency, tax policy and community-level preparedness.

Measures include beneficial fire capacity and liability changes

Assemblymember Damon Connolly said AB 1891 would dedicate grant funding to beneficial fire practitioners and was introduced with the Karuk Tribe and the Watershed Research and Training Center.

Connolly said beneficial fire projects help ecosystems foster biodiversity, reduce wildfire risk and preserve natural habitats and forests.

The release said AB 1891 and AB 1699 are intended to expand the pace and scale of beneficial fire in California by investing in local and tribal capacity while removing liability and permitting barriers that have slowed prescribed and cultural burns.

It said both measures recognise the role of California Tribes in fire-adapted areas and are intended to support tribal authority and resourcing.

Assemblymember Chris Rogers said: “Planning for wildfires isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.”

Kenneth Brink, Karuk Tribe Vice Chairman, said: “Indigenous people have been burning since Time Immemorial to manage our homelands.

“Fire promotes the cultural and ecological resources we need to thrive, and it protects our communities and landscapes from catastrophic wildfire.

“We appreciate that California legislators are looking at wildfire mitigation in a comprehensive way, recognizing that both landscape resilience and the built environment are critical to address, and humans have a central role in stewarding all of it, with beneficial fire as one of our most essential tools.

“We are excited to sponsor Assemblymember Connolly’s AB 1891 and support Assemblymember Roger’s AB 1699 which both support increasing the pace and scale of beneficial fire in California”

The package listed bills including SB 894, SB 973, SB 911, SB 1079 and SB 1404, plus Assembly measures AB 1699, AB 1891, AB 1934, AB 1960, AB 1964, AB 1971, AB 1986 and AB 2013.

Autonomous ground vehicles trialled for wildfire response supplies and PTZ overwatch

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsVehicles

Wildfire response demonstration at Camp Pendleton

A demonstration at Camp Pendleton, California, showcased autonomous resupply and wildfire logistics using unmanned ground vehicles and a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and Overland AI demonstrated autonomous resupply, wildfire logistics and fire suppression efforts via PTZ camera for wildfire operations.

ULTRA vehicles and payloads used in the mission

Two of Overland AI’s ULTRA autonomous ground vehicles were piloted by OverDrive, the company’s autonomy software.

The vehicles were described as fully autonomous ground platforms with off-road manoeuvrability and modular payloads.

Payloads referenced in the announcement included a PTZ camera and mission packages designed to deliver food, water, hose, batteries and other critical equipment to remote fire lines.

The coordinated mission described the vehicles autonomously delivering supplies across austere terrain and establishing persistent overwatch.

The vehicles were also described as repositioning to elevated ground to support future communications relay needs.

Deputy Chief Jack Worden, Office of Wildfire Technology, Research and Development at CAL FIRE, said: “This demonstration is in line with what CAL FIRE is trying to do today with our larger autonomy plan and how we see the future of firefighting as a force multiplier.

“That applies not only within CAL FIRE but across the fire service as a whole.”

Overland AI co-founder and chief executive officer Byron Boots said: “ULTRA continues to show how autonomous land systems can strengthen missions from national defense to critical public safety.

“It is an honor to support wildfire operations with our capability.”

CAL FIRE company officer training reaches record 2025 total in California

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsTraining

Record year for CAL FIRE training

The office of Governor Gavin Newsom said CAL FIRE has trained more than 650 Company Officers in 2025, marking a record year for leadership development across California.

According to the governor’s office, four Company Officer academies have operated at full capacity during 2025.

The newest site, the Atwater Training Center in Merced County, opened in July 2025 to meet rising training demand.

Existing facilities in Ione, Redding and Riverside have supported the expanded training programme.

The office said this training year reflects a sustained focus on developing professional leaders for CAL FIRE operations across the state.

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, said: “Rapidly expanding our world-class firefighting force is just one piece of California’s unprecedented investment in fire protection and readiness.

“From new training facilities to the Southern California Emergency Operations Center, we’re building the infrastructure and workforce our communities need to face the climate challenges ahead.

“While Donald Trump undercuts federal readiness for mega-fires that threaten communities across the west, California continues to dominate with key investments in fire readiness and response.”

Company Officer Academy Class 25-14 graduation

The office confirmed that 38 CAL FIRE Company Officers have graduated from Company Officer Academy Class 25-14 at the Ione Training Center.

This cohort is described as the final class in the 2025 training cycle.

The graduates have completed an intensive syllabus and will move into leadership roles across the department.

CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler administered the oath to the new Company Officers.

Tyler’s keynote address highlighted the workload involved in delivering this year’s instruction.

CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler said: “This milestone year of training represents our commitment to the future of CAL FIRE and the safety of California.

“We recognize the achievement of these 38 students, as well as the dedication of our training staff who maintained exceptionally high standards while sustaining this record-setting pace.”

State investment in wildfire readiness and prevention

The governor’s office linked the graduation to wider state investment in wildfire response and prevention capabilities.

According to the office, California has doubled its spending on wildfire prevention and resilience efforts since 2020.

State figures report more than $2.5 billion allocated to wildfire resilience programmes.

An additional $1.5 billion is due to come from the 2024 Climate Bond.

California has also invested $173 million in community-based wildfire projects aimed at helping local areas protect themselves from wildfires.

The office described the firefighters graduating at the new training facility as an example of this funding in practice.

The governor’s office added that California has joined the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact.

This agreement expands mutual aid partnerships for major wildfire incidents to additional agencies across the US and Canada.

How expanded CAL FIRE capacity relates to sector priorities

The expansion of CAL FIRE Company Officer training and the opening of the Atwater Training Center in Merced County provide practical information for fire and rescue chiefs and senior officers tracking workforce development in US wildland agencies.

A record total of more than 650 Company Officers trained in 2025 indicates the scale of leadership capacity being built within CAL FIRE.

Training officers and instructors may note that four academies operated at full capacity, with a new site added to handle increased demand.

Emergency and disaster response managers can draw on the detailed figures on state investment, including more than $2.5 billion for wildfire resilience, $1.5 billion from the 2024 Climate Bond and $173 million for community-based projects.

Government departments and mutual aid coordinators will be directly affected by California’s decision to join the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact, which broadens access to partner resources during major wildfire incidents.

Cal Fire reveals Green Schoolyard grant guidelines

by Featured News

The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (Cal Fire) Urban and Community Forestry Program has announced US $117 million will be available for Green Schoolyard grants in 2023.

Parties eligible for the grant include local government or education agencies, special districts (including school and park districts), and non-profit organisations.

Up to $117 million will be available for Green Schoolyards projects including at least $30 million for grants to eligible childcare facilities receiving government funding.

There will be two grant available: Implementation Grants of between $1,000,000 and $30,000,000 per applicant including $2,000,000 max per school campus included in the project; and Planning Grants of between $75,000 and $1,500,000 per application including $100,000 max per school campus included in the project.

The Green Schoolyard grant guidelines are now open for public comment through until 13 January 2023. The public comment period is to solicit feedback and constructive comments that will help the Urban and Community Forestry Program improve its grant making efforts. The preliminary proposal deadline is February 17, 2023 at 3:00 PM PDT.

Mosquito Fire becomes California’s largest blaze of the year

by ActiveFeatured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

The Mosquito Fire has become the largest wildfire to burn in California this year after growing over 67,000 acres as of Thursday night and remaining at only 20% containment.

The Mosquito blaze has now surpassed the McKinney fire as the largest wildfire in California this year. The McKinney fire has burned over 60,000 acres in Siskiyou County and is currently 99% contained.

The fire has been fuelled by dry vegitation in the area that was cooling off following record breaking heat the previous week.

The fire, which ignited ten days ago, now covers over 67,000 acres in El Dorado and Placer counties, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Over 11,000 residents of surrounding California communities were evacuated due to the fire which has destroyed 64 structures and damaged 10 in Placer and El Dorado counties, according to Cal Fire’s most recent damage assessment report. Over 9,000 structures were under threat.

The fire had calmed down over the weekend but strong winds cleared up smoke and created fresh oxygen for active fire behaviour on Tuesday night, Cal Fire said and containment dropped from 25% Tuesday to 20% on Wednesday.

“We’re ready for an absolute blowup out here,” said Jonathan Pangburn, a fire behavior analyst with Cal Fire, during the US Forest Service’s Wednesday briefing. “It doesn’t need a lot of wind.”