The OroraTech Wildfire Solution: Fire Management based on the Forest Satellite Constellation

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Authors: Lukas Liesenhoff, Johanna Wahbe, Veronika Pörtge, Dmitry Rashkovetsky, Max Bereczky, Kim Feuerbacher, Korbinian Würl, Martin Langer, Julia Gottfriedsen
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Abstract

Fire regimes are changing in many parts of the world, with particularly notable shifts in Europe: Regions such as Scandinavia where wildfires historically played a limited role are increasingly experiencing wildfire activity, while parts of Southern Europe face worsening conditions. These developments strengthen the need for integrated information that supports decisions across the full disaster management cycle. OroraTech has developed an end-to-end wildfire product suite that combines satellite observations, numerical modelling, machine learning and AI to support wildfire preparedness, response, and recovery.Before a fire occurs, the platform focuses on disaster preparedness through medium-range wildfire hazard forecasting up to one week in advance. These forecasts integrate meteorological drivers, fuel characteristics, and historical fire occurrence patterns using data-driven and physics-informed approaches to identify areas of elevated hazard. In addition, scenario-based fire spread simulations allow users to explore potential fire behaviour under varying ignition locations, environmental conditions, and mitigation measures such as fire breaks, enabling proactive planning and evaluation of response strategies.During an active fire, the system provides operational support. Near real-time active fire detection is delivered via OroraTech’s proprietary thermal infrared satellite constellation, combined with detections from more than 30 additional satellite missions to maximise temporal coverage and robustness. These observations are used to update dynamic fire spread simulations, supporting tactical decisions such as fire break placement and resource allocation. Active fire intelligence is enriched with contextual layers including land cover, topography, and short-term weather forecasts, among others.After containment, the product suite delivers burned area mapping to support impact assessment, reporting, and recovery planning. Providing consistent pre-, during-, and post-fire products within a single platform enables a continuous and coherent view of wildfire events, supporting stakeholders across the entire wildfire lifecycle.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Fire effects on ecosystems Fire Detection and Safety Systems Fire dynamics and safety research

Publication details

Journal / source
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Publication date
13 March 2026
Language
EN