Governor Josh Green, M.D. | Office of the Governor – News Release – Dept. of Homeland Security Deploys Wildfire Sensors to Mitigate and Manage Fires in Hawaiʻi, Keep Communities Safe and Resilient

Office of the Governor – News Release – Dept. of Homeland Security Deploys Wildfire Sensors to Mitigate and Manage Fires in Hawaiʻi, Keep Communities Safe and Resilient

Posted on Mar 8, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR
KE KIAʻĀINA

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DEPLOYS WILDFIRE SENSORS TO MITIGATE AND MANAGE FIRES IN HAWAIʻI, KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE AND RESILIENT
Wildfire Sensor Technology Aims to Detect Fires and Save Lives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2024

WAILEA, MAUI, HAWAIʻI – Governor Josh Green, M.D., Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, and state of Hawai‘i Department of Defense Adjutant General Kenneth Hara today joined the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) in announcing the planned deployment of 80 wildfire sensors and 16 wind sensors across Hawai‘i. The initiative reflects the Homeland Security Department’s continued commitment to support long-term recovery efforts following the unprecedented wildfires on Maui, while advancing innovative solutions for extreme weather events driven by climate change. As wildfires become more common and severe, advanced sensors will allow first responders to get to and suppress an initial blaze before it spreads, while granting time needed for communities to make life-saving evacuation decisions.

“President Biden set the tone for his administration’s care and support for Hawaiʻi when he signed our requested federal emergency declaration six hours after it was submitted,” said Governor Green. “The federal agencies he oversees have been absolutely responsive to state requests for help on all levels.”

“In the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that struck Maui last summer, the Biden-Harris Administration and the Department of Homeland Security vowed not just to help Hawaiʻi recover, but also to help safeguard it against the tragic destruction of another such fire,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “We continue to execute on that promise. Today we are deploying dozens of state-of-the-art fire and wind sensors in strategic locations across Hawai‘i to enable local officials and firefighters to quickly target an initial blaze and initiate evacuation procedures. As wildfires and other climate change-driven challenges increase in frequency and severity, our department will continue working every day to develop innovative solutions and deploy them across the country for the safety and security of our communities.”

“We welcome this early alert system and are grateful to our federal partners for providing these wildfire and wind sensors to help keep our communities safe,” said Governor Green. “We have seen how rapid and devastating wildfires can be. No community, throughout our island state or elsewhere, should ever have to experience so much suffering and loss. This technology will help to save the lives of Hawaiʻi residents and visitors.”

“Reflecting on the tragedy our people have endured, fire mitigation remains at the forefront of our recovery efforts,” said Mayor Bissen. “With this new technology, detecting fires at the very early phases will save lives. We are already exploring ways to rebuild Lahaina safer, and the introduction of an early detection system will give our emergency responders a critical advantage in protecting our community.”

“Wildfire risk continues to increase across the nation as we live through unprecedented heat waves and drought spurred by climate change,” said Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell. “This collaboration between the U.S. Fire Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and S&T to deploy these new wildfire and wind sensors is a huge step forward in the work we’re doing to prevent and mitigate against future wildfires in Hawaiʻi. Ultimately, this technology will help our firefighters respond faster, save lives, and keep residents safe from future fire events.”

“The wildfire challenge we face as a nation today, and the solutions to it are complex,” said U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore Merrell. “Protecting our nation’s homelands against fire and hazardous threats requires continued collaborative research and development in the field of firefighting. The deployment of these sensors marks a major step forward in wildfire prevention and mitigation, enhancing our capabilities for predicting the incidence and spread of large-scale fires.”

“DHS S&T’s research and development is laying the groundwork for breakthroughs that have the potential to improve fire safety and firefighting efforts,” said Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov, Under Secretary for Science and Technology. “The sensors deployed today are more effective than traditional optical cameras or thermal imaging sensors used to identify fires, because they don’t just ‘see’ what is already visible — they ‘sniff’ out the fires as soon as they start. This announcement today reflects our continued commitment to utilizing the latest advancements in technology and data-driven insights to ensure communities have the resources needed to respond in real-time to wildfires.”

Hawaiʻi will be the first location to receive the new Beta wildfire sensors developed by DHS S&T and USFA in coordination with small business N5 Sensors Inc. These wildfire detection sensors identify changes in conditions before wildfires start, providing 24-hour sensing and alerting capabilities. The sensors continuously transmit information and send an email or text notification to a pre-programmed contact when these components are detected. The system housing the sensors is small and compact, able to sit on a utility pole or a traffic light, and can work in all weather conditions.

DHS S&T, in collaboration with FEMA and USFA, undertook wildfire sensor research after a successful five-year effort to test and develop flood sensors. In 2023, the wildfire sensor initiative deployed 200 initial Alpha phase pilot sensors in collaboration with state and local government stakeholders throughout the U.S. and Canada. Those sensors continue to provide fire alerts and warnings and have collected more than 1,000,000 hours of data in the field. The data now enhances the Artificial Intelligence (AI) learning algorithms being deployed in the Beta version, which requires less solar power to recharge, is equipped with wind sensors to increase the accuracy of wildfire location prediction, and has better ability to operate in areas with limited cellular coverage. Homeland Security will deploy 200 Beta wildfire sensors to high-risk areas across the U.S. in 2024 for operational testing and evaluation, including the 80 sensors across Hawai‘i. This first round of fire sensors is being provided at no cost to the state of Hawaiʻi.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is driving federal efforts to prepare and equip communities to address the increased risk of fires and other natural disasters. In addition to deploying wildfire sensors, the department is advancing research to increase the effectiveness and reliability of fire warnings, develop new types of personal protective equipment to keep our firefighters safe, and work on new capabilities for tracking and predicting fire behavior, among other initiatives.

Video of today’s news conference can be seen here.

Photos of today’s news conference, courtesy Office of the Governor, are here.

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Media Contacts:

Erika Engle

Press Secretary

Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i

Phone: 808-586-0120

Email: [email protected]

Makana McClellan

Director of Communications

Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi