UK Plans AI Wildfire Unit Using Satellites and Military Aircraft

The UK is planning a new unit that will use artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to help detect and fight wildfires. The plans are expected to be announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham at a resilience summit at the National Situation Centre on Friday.

The unit would bring together early-detection systems and satellite images to help firefighters respond faster. Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters and A400M aircraft are also expected to receive specialist firefighting equipment so they can tackle fires from the air, including in remote areas. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the military would provide more support to emergency services as wildfire risks grow.

Google, Airbus and VodafoneThree are among the technology and aerospace companies expected to attend the announcement. Universities and technology firms are expected to help develop tools to identify potential wildfires across the country.

Airbus already operates satellites that can measure forest dryness and detect small heat signatures from space in near real time. Separately, NASA launched a satellite earlier this year carrying Prithvi, an open-source geospatial foundation model developed with IBM. It can detect wildfires, floods and landslides, among other tasks.

The plans follow a summer of extreme heat and a record-hot summer in the UK, during which wildfires destroyed thousands of acres of wildland. TechRadar also points to a recent report finding that 80% of AI data centers are built in areas exposed to natural disasters, raising questions about AI’s role in both contributing to and addressing environmental risks.