Rapid and accurate wildfire detection is crucial for emergency response and environmental management. In airborne and spaceborne missions, real-time algorithms must distinguish between no fire, active fire, and post-fire conditions, and estimate fire intensity. Multispectral and hyperspectral thermal imagers provide rich spectral information, but high data dimensionality and limited onboard resources make real-time processing challenging. As wildfires increase in frequency and severity, the need for low-latency and computationally efficient onboard detection methods is critical. We present a systematic evaluation of multiple deep learning architectures, including custom Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Transformer-based models, for multi-class fire classification. We also introduce PyroFocus, a two-stage pipeline that performs fire classification followed by fire radiative power (FRP) regression or segmentation to reduce inference time and computational cost for onboard deployment. Using data from NASA's MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER), which is similar to a next-generation fire detection sensor, we compare accuracy, inference latency, and resource efficiency. Experimental results show that the proposed two-stage pipeline achieves strong trade-offs between speed and accuracy, demonstrating significant potential for real-time edge deployment in future wildfire monitoring missions.

Over 8,024 wildfire incidents have been documented in 2024 alone, affecting thousands of fatalities and significant damage to infrastructure and ecosystems. Wildfires in the United States have inflicted devastating losses. Wildfires are becoming more frequent and intense, which highlights how urgently efficient warning systems are needed to avoid disastrous outcomes. The goal of this study is to enhance the accuracy of wildfire detection by using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) built on the VGG16 architecture. The D-FIRE dataset, which includes several kinds of wildfire and non-wildfire images, was employed in the study. Low-resolution images, dataset imbalance, and the necessity for real-time applicability are some of the main challenges. These problems were resolved by enriching the dataset using data augmentation techniques and optimizing the VGG16 model for binary classification. The model produced a low false negative rate, which is essential for reducing unexplored fires, despite dataset boundaries. In order to help authorities execute fast responses, this work shows that deep learning models such as VGG16 can offer a reliable, automated approach for early wildfire recognition. For the purpose of reducing the impact of wildfires, our future work will concentrate on connecting to systems with real-time surveillance networks and enlarging the dataset to cover more varied fire situations.

The critical need for sophisticated detection techniques has been highlighted by the rising frequency and intensity of wildfires in the US, especially in California. In 2023, wildfires caused 130 deaths nationwide, the highest since 1990. In January 2025, Los Angeles wildfires which included the Palisades and Eaton fires burnt approximately 40,000 acres and 12,000 buildings, and caused loss of human lives. The devastation underscores the urgent need for effective detection and prevention strategies. Deep learning models, such as Vision Transformers (ViTs), can enhance early detection by processing complex image data with high accuracy. However, wildfire detection faces challenges, including the availability of high-quality, real-time data. Wildfires often occur in remote areas with limited sensor coverage, and environmental factors like smoke and cloud cover can hinder detection. Additionally, training deep learning models is computationally expensive, and issues like false positives/negatives and scaling remain concerns. Integrating detection systems with real-time alert mechanisms also poses difficulties. In this work, we used the wildfire dataset consisting of 10.74 GB high-resolution images categorized into 'fire' and 'nofire' classes is used for training the ViT model. To prepare the data, images are resized to 224 x 224 pixels, converted into tensor format, and normalized using ImageNet statistics.

Early detection of forest fires is crucial to minimizing the environmental and socioeconomic damage they cause. Indeed, a fire's duration directly correlates with the difficulty and cost of extinguishing it. For instance, a fire burning for 1 minute might require 1 liter of water to extinguish, while a 2-minute fire could demand 100 liters, and a 10-minute fire might necessitate 1,000 liters. On the other hand, existing fire detection systems based on novel technologies (e.g., remote sensing, PTZ cameras, UAVs) are often expensive and require human intervention, making continuous monitoring of large areas impractical. To address this challenge, this work proposes a low-cost forest fire detection system that utilizes a central gateway device with computer vision capabilities to monitor a 360{\deg} field of view for smoke at long distances. A deep reinforcement learning agent enhances surveillance by dynamically controlling the camera's orientation, leveraging real-time sensor data (smoke levels, ambient temperature, and humidity) from distributed IoT devices. This approach enables automated wildfire monitoring across expansive areas while reducing false positives.

Contemporary Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) research places a significant emphasis on transfer learning, showcasing its transformative potential in enhancing model performance across diverse domains. This paper examines the efficiency and effectiveness of transfer learning in the context of wildfire detection. Three purpose-built models -- Visual Geometry Group (VGG)-7, VGG-10, and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-Support Vector Machine(SVM) CNN-SVM -- are rigorously compared with three pretrained models -- VGG-16, VGG-19, and Residual Neural Network (ResNet) ResNet101. We trained and evaluated these models using a dataset that captures the complexities of wildfires, incorporating variables such as varying lighting conditions, time of day, and diverse terrains. The objective is to discern how transfer learning performs against models trained from scratch in addressing the intricacies of the wildfire detection problem. By assessing the performance metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score, a comprehensive understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of transfer learning in this specific domain is obtained. This study contributes valuable insights to the ongoing discourse, guiding future directions in AI and ML research. Keywords: Wildfire prediction, deep learning, machine learning fire, detection

Forest loss due to natural events, such as wildfires, represents an increasing global challenge that demands advanced analytical methods for effective detection and mitigation. To this end, the integration of satellite imagery with deep learning (DL) methods has become essential. Nevertheless, this approach requires substantial amounts of labeled data to produce accurate results. In this study, we use bi-temporal Sentinel-2 satellite imagery sourced from Google Earth Engine (GEE) to build the California Wildfire GeoImaging Dataset (CWGID), a high-resolution labeled satellite imagery dataset with over 100,000 labeled before and after forest wildfire image pairs for wildfire detection through DL. Our methods include data acquisition from authoritative sources, data processing, and an initial dataset analysis using three pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures. Our results show that the EF EfficientNet-B0 model achieves the highest accuracy of over 92% in detecting forest wildfires. The CWGID and the methodology used to build it, prove to be a valuable resource for training and testing DL architectures for forest wildfire detection.

New technologies could detect fires faster, giving first responders a head start. In February 2024, a broken utility pole brought down power lines near the small town of Stinnett, Texas. In the following weeks, the fire reportedly sparked by that equipment grew to burn over 1 million acres, the biggest wildfire in the state's history. The full FireSat system should be able to detect tiny fires anywhere in the world, and provide updated images every 20 minutes. Anything from stray fireworks to lightning strikes can start a wildfire. While it's natural for many ecosystems to see some level of fire activity, the hotter, drier conditions brought on by climate change are fueling longer fire seasons with larger fires that burn more land.

This research addresses the pressing challenge of enhancing processing times and detection capabilities in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)/drone imagery for global wildfire detection, despite limited datasets. Proposing a Segmented Neural Network (SegNet) selection approach, we focus on reducing feature maps to boost both time resolution and accuracy significantly advancing processing speeds and accuracy in real-time wildfire detection. This paper contributes to increased processing speeds enabling real-time detection capabilities for wildfire, increased detection accuracy of wildfire, and improved detection capabilities of early wildfire, through proposing a new direction for image classification of amorphous objects like fire, water, smoke, etc. Employing Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for image classification, emphasizing on the reduction of irrelevant features vital for deep learning processes, especially in live feed data for fire detection. Amidst the complexity of live feed data in fire detection, our study emphasizes on image feed, highlighting the urgency to enhance real-time processing. Our proposed algorithm combats feature overload through segmentation, addressing challenges arising from diverse features like objects, colors, and textures. Notably, a delicate balance of feature map size and dataset adequacy is pivotal. Several research papers use smaller image sizes, compromising feature richness which necessitating a new approach. We illuminate the critical role of pixel density in retaining essential details, especially for early wildfire detection. By carefully selecting number of filters during training, we underscore the significance of higher pixel density for proper feature selection. The proposed SegNet approach is rigorously evaluated using real-world dataset obtained by a drone flight and compared to state-of-the-art literature.

Over the past few years, wildfires have become a worldwide environmental emergency, resulting in substantial harm to natural habitats and playing a part in the acceleration of climate change. Wildfire management methods involve prevention, response, and recovery efforts. Despite improvements in detection techniques, the rising occurrence of wildfires demands creative solutions for prompt identification and effective control. This research investigates proactive methods for detecting and handling wildfires in the United States, utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and 5G technology. The specific objective of this research covers proactive detection and prevention of wildfires using advanced technology; Active monitoring and mapping with remote sensing and signaling leveraging on 5G technology; and Advanced response mechanisms to wildfire using drones and IOT devices. This study was based on secondary data collected from government databases and analyzed using descriptive statistics. In addition, past publications were reviewed through content analysis, and narrative synthesis was used to present the observations from various studies. The results showed that developing new technology presents an opportunity to detect and manage wildfires proactively. Utilizing advanced technology could save lives and prevent significant economic losses caused by wildfires. Various methods, such as AI-enabled remote sensing and 5G-based active monitoring, can enhance proactive wildfire detection and management. In addition, super intelligent drones and IOT devices can be used for safer responses to wildfires. This forms the core of the recommendation to the fire Management Agencies and the government.

Early wildfire detection in remote and forest areas is crucial for minimizing devastation and preserving ecosystems. Autonomous drones offer agile access to remote, challenging terrains, equipped with advanced imaging technology that delivers both high-temporal and detailed spatial resolution, making them valuable assets in the early detection and monitoring of wildfires. However, the limited computation and battery resources of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) pose significant challenges in implementing robust and efficient image classification models. Current works in this domain often operate offline, emphasizing the need for solutions that can perform inference in real time, given the constraints of UAVs. To address these challenges, this paper aims to develop a real-time image classification and fire segmentation model. It presents a comprehensive investigation into hardware acceleration using the Jetson Nano P3450 and the implications of TensorRT, NVIDIA's high-performance deep-learning inference library, on fire classification accuracy and speed. The study includes implementations of Quantization Aware Training (QAT), Automatic Mixed Precision (AMP), and post-training mechanisms, comparing them against the latest baselines for fire segmentation and classification. All experiments utilize the FLAME dataset - an image dataset collected by low-altitude drones during a prescribed forest fire. This work contributes to the ongoing efforts to enable real-time, on-board wildfire detection capabilities for UAVs, addressing speed and the computational and energy constraints of these crucial monitoring systems. The results show a 13% increase in classification speed compared to similar models without hardware optimization. Comparatively, loss and accuracy are within 1.225% of the original values.