Researchers develop platform for the prevention and early detection of forest fires

A team from the Department of Informatics Engineering (DEI) of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC) is developing a platform designed to support the prevention and early detection of forest fires through data-driven technology.

The project “SenForFire – Cost-Effective Wireless Sensor Networks for Forest Fire Prevention and Early Detection”, funded by the European Union’s Interreg Sudoe Programme, brings together researchers from Andorra, Spain, France, and Portugal and focuses on developing cost-effective wireless sensor networks to measure meteorological and environmental parameters relevant to assessing forest fire risk in municipalities and local communities located in high-risk areas.

“Our contribution to the project focuses on the intelligent analysis of georeferenced, multimodal data collected from various sensors and sources, to support decision-making by firefighters and local authorities before and during a fire,” explains Catarina Silva, Professor at DEI, researcher at the Centre for Informatics and Systems of the University of Coimbra (CISUC), and project coordinator.

In Portugal, the case study is based in Fundão, where project-developed sensors have been installed. The collected data – including temperature, humidity, and gas concentrations – are integrated into The Things Stack system, stored in a time-series database, and analysed using intelligent models that identify fire precursors, enabling early risk alerts.

“In addition to environmental data, the system combines geospatial and topological information such as satellite imagery, terrain relief, slopes, land use, and fire history, improving the accuracy of risk assessments,” notes Cidália Fonte, Professor at the Department of Mathematics of FCTUC and researcher at the Institute of Systems and Computer Engineering of Coimbra (INESCC)(INESC Coimbra).

With partners from Andorra, Spain, France, and Portugal, including municipalities, universities, and companies, the project is committed not only to research but also to the industrialisation of the technology, providing direct support to local authorities. Its main goal is to enhance the capacity of municipalities and fire brigades to prevent forest fires through robust, accessible, and up-to-date data and forecasts.

“Preliminary results show that the models are capable of predicting fire risk. In the future, we hope to provide proactive tools for prevention and resource management, offering greater detail and spatial resolution,” the research team concludes.

The DEI-FCTUC research team includes Alberto Cardoso, Bernardete Ribeiro, Catarina Silva, Cidália Fonte, Filipe Araújo, and Jacinto Estima.