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Home / 2012 / July / 30 / ‘Only you can prevent forest fires’ … with your smartphone
Environment & Sustainability

‘Only you can prevent forest fires’ … with your smartphone

July 30, 2012

Forest fire app

UBC’s smartphone app allows a user to collect data and photos of suspected forest fire hazards and measure them using the principles of remote sensing.

A smartphone app that prevents forest fires by identifying hazardous areas and that was developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia is getting tested in the Okanagan this summer.

Wildfires are a yearly threat in the region. The 2003 Okanagan Mountain fire destroyed 25,000 ha of forest and 239 homes, and in July 2009, two fires in West Kelowna forced 12,500 residents out of their homes and destroyed three properties.

Designed by Faculty of Forestry PhD student Colin Ferster and professor Nicholas Coops, the app is designed for professionals and members of the public, such as homeowners.

Starting at the top of the trees and working down to the forest floor, the app contains images of potential fire hazards such as fallen wood, brush, or a thick carpet of needles on the forest floor. Once identified, users take pictures and upload the images, additional information and global positioning system (GPS) coordinates to a database.

“One of the most effective ways to reduce wildfire hazard is to reduce the amount of fuel that is available to burn,” said Ferster. “By putting this tool in hands of many people, we can collect more information about the current status of the forest, and at the same time increase awareness and cooperation, which will help reduce the threat of wildfire in the community.”

With consistent and comparable measurements at their disposal, forest managers can make timely decisions on how to best minimize fire hazard.

A field trial of the app is currently underway at UBC’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna. To find out more about the project and to volunteer please visit:
http://irsslab.forestry.ubc.ca/Research/MobileRemoteSensing.aspx

Forest fire app 2

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Media Contact

Patty Wellborn
E-mail: patty.wellborn@ubc.ca

Content type: Media Release
More content from: Uncategorized

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About UBC Okanagan

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose traditional, ancestral and unceded territory the campus resides. The most established and influential global rankings all consistently place UBC in the top five per cent of universities in the world, and among the top three Canadian universities.

The Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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