Applicability of remote sensing technologies for use in Ontario forest fire management protocols

Abstract

The use of remote sensing in forest fire detection could allow earlier mitigation of active fires resulting in a significant decrease in fire related health effects. Infrared detection can provide more detailed and accurate information on fire size, spatial accuracy and temperature. Hyperspectral sensors can allow the detection and earlier mitigation of high risk areas. Few studies have concentrated on the efficiency of multiple types of sensors surch as infrared, hyperspectral and multispectral being used in combination. A literature review was done to highlight health effects on humans and the environment in order to determine the need for changes in current forest fire detection practices. The infrared portion of this research focused on sensors abilities to detect heat signatures and compared the specifications of each sensor with the others to ensure a cost-effective solution to current practices using off-the-shelf technologies. The hyperspectral portion of this research focused on using vegetation indices to examine potential use of such sensors in the detection of high risk areas.