technology at the service of firefighters

66,000 hectares were ravaged by flames in 2022. In Hérault, firefighters were able to count on an ally, a drone equipped with a thermal camera. It detects all heat sources, up to temperatures of 300°C, within a kilometer. “The use of the drone makes it possible to detect the hot spot more quickly (…) and to immediately engage the means on each hot spot“, explains Commander David, of the marine firefighters of Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône).

The help of artificial intelligence

These new tools have become essential in the face of forest fires. In Marseille, for the past year, firefighters have had an optical ball capable of seeing in infrared. But detecting the start of a fire is not enough: you have to be able to anticipate it, and even predict it. Ruben Hallali has developed an application. 1,000 sensors are installed throughout the south of France. Thanks to the collected data and artificial intelligence, a very precise map is generated for the firefighters.