Greece launches AI‑powered satellite network to detect forest fires

Greece has become the first country to deploy a dedicated constellation of four nanosatellites for forest‑fire detection. Built by German firm OroraTech, the satellites carry thermal sensors capable of spotting fire hotspots as small as four metres and use artificial‑intelligence models to verify the signal, filtering out false alarms from solar‑heated surfaces. When a fire is identified, the system instantly transmits location, size and intensity data to ground crews, allowing rapid prioritisation of response.

The programme, financed by a €200 million European Union grant and supported by an additional €350 million from Greece, aims to complement existing drone and ground‑sensor networks and to close coverage gaps left by international satellites. "We scan an area, feed the images to our AI models, and within minutes send precise alerts to the fire services," explained OroraTech CEO Ioannis Lantouris. Plans are already under way to expand the network with radar and high‑resolution optical satellites.

Greek officials point to the system as a model for fire‑prone nations such as Portugal, which suffers some of the EU’s highest burn‑area percentages each summer.