A cool tech development from NASA is helping firefighters better fight and contain wildfires.
According to a news release, a NASA sensor called the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer 3 (AVIRIS-3) helped to bring real-time data to firefighters dealing with a 120-acre fire in Alabama on March 19.
The AVIRIS-3 and similar imaging spectrometers are used aboard planes and collect imaging data from below. Normally, scientists would layer this imaging data into highly detailed maps and imaging products, a process that could take days or even weeks.
However, with the AVIRIS-3, thanks to simplified calibration algorithms, a scientist onboard the plane can immediately process and analyze the data and send the results to the phones of firefighters on the ground.
This lets firefighters see the perimeter of the fire and where it is hottest, enabling them to determine where it is likely to spread. With this knowledge, firefighters and other resources can be sent to the best spots to fight the fire.
"This is very agile science," Robert Green, the principal investigator of the program, said.
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AVIRIS-3 belongs to a line of spectrometers built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory since 1986. The sensor was a part of the 2025 NASA FireSense Airborne Campaign and began being flown in February. Since then, scientists have learned from and worked to continuously improve the mapping process.
Knowing the best way to fight a wildfire in the moment will help firefighters and authorities, allowing them to put out fires more quickly or direct them away from heavily populated areas using fire breaks, which will save lives. Plus, the faster firefighters contain a wildfire, the less damage it does, preserving ecosystems and protecting air and soil quality.
Altogether, this advancement will put firefighters ahead of the curve when battling wildfires.
"Fire moves a lot faster than a bulldozer, so we have to try to get around it before it overtakes us," Ethan Barrett, fire analyst for the Forest Protection Division of the Alabama Forestry Commission, said. "These maps show us the hot spots. When I get out of the truck, I can say, 'OK, here's the perimeter.' That puts me light-years ahead."
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