The rugged, all-in-one fire weather station provided critical data that helped frontline firefighters contain wildfires like the Washburn Fire and save many of California’s famed sequoias.
Due to an ongoing drought and higher temperatures associated with climate change, California faces a potentially record-breaking season of wildfires in the summer and fall of 2022. This year, eight fires have already burned a combined 100,000 acres in the state. One of these fires, the Washburn Fire, began on July 7 near the Mariposa Grove area of Yosemite National Park. The fire forced the evacuation of over 400 visitors and threatened the area’s giant sequoias, which are some of the largest trees on the planet and a hugely popular tourist attraction. 1,600 firefighters were deployed to contain the fire and protect the park and its awe-inspiring trees.
Thankfully, the Washburn Fire has now reached 100% containment, and Mariposa Grove was reopened to the public earlier this month. Contributing to the successful containment of this wildfire has been the strategic use of remote weather stations that provided invaluable data to frontline firefighters and officials.
One of these weather stations is a prototype of the Fire Weather Observation System (FWOS) developed by Intellisense Systems. Based on the rugged, proven Micro Weather Station (MWS®), the FWOS is a compact, wireless, field-deployable sensor that autonomously collects and reports fire weather-related data, including fuel moisture, solar radiation, particulate monitoring, and thermal imaging. Weighing just under 5 lb., it can be set up in less than 60 seconds in the most remote forests and areas prone to wildfire outbreaks. If cellular coverage in the area is limited, the FWOS will be able to transmit data via satellite from anywhere in the world.
The FWOS delivers several distinct advantages that it offers to firefighters on the front lines. It is portable, being both lightweight and compact, and it can easily be thrown into a backpack for rapid deployment in critical areas. Since the FWOS is also quick to set up, it will begin transmitting relevant environmental data within minutes. Taking advantage of smart phone technology, the FWOS could one day be part of a fire team’s standard kit.
“Seeing the FWOS provide critical data to firefighters fills our team with a huge sense of pride,” said Michael Burke, Director of Business Development at Intellisense. “Every one of our solutions are designed to save lives, and our goal with the FWOS is to protect firefighters and evacuees from the increasing dangers of wildfires in the United States.”
The MWS was previously deployed in 2017 to help combat the Thomas Fire, which is now the seventh-largest wildfire in California history. Six units were stationed along the fire line to keep personnel out of harm’s way. These resilient fire weather stations provided critical information to firefighters, helping them make time-sensitive decisions on how to best respond to the fire and mitigate its destruction.
This solution from Intellisense can be instrumental in protecting California’s most beloved areas – including Yosemite National Park and its many giant sequoias – from the increasing threat of wildfires.