Drones and AI technology expand global wildfire detection efforts

Authorities and researchers are increasingly integrating drone technology and artificial intelligence to improve the early detection of wildfires globally.

In Indonesia, the Riau Provincial Police utilized drones alongside a specialized extinguishing formula known as ‘X Fire’ to combat forest and land fires in the Siak and Pelalawan regions. This formula is designed to penetrate deep into peat soil to neutralize underground embers. In Italy, the Calabria region conducted nearly 4,900 drone flights under ‘Operation Tolleranza Zero’ between June and August 2026, which helped identify 73 fires early.

In Germany, researchers from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the Fraunhofer Institute successfully tested AI-supported drones in the Harz mountains. These tests demonstrated the ability to detect small fires from a distance of two to three kilometers. Following these results, the state of Saxony-Anhalt is evaluating the use of drones and satellite technology to minimize the time between fire outbreaks and emergency service notifications. Additionally, the city of Sangju in South Korea is investing approximately 1.3 billion Won into an AI-based smart surveillance system for forest fire monitoring.