NASA sensor to aid Calif in wildfire monitoring

The scanner gathers real-time wildfire imaging data over large-scale disasters on the West Coast and relays it to managers by satellite.

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Associated Press

Wed, Dec 15 2010 at 9:17 AM

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NASA, Technology

Fire roars through 1,100 acres of mountain wilderness northwest of Los Angeles on Tuesday Aug. 24, 2010 near Lebac, Calif., forcing evacuations as flames threatened dozens of rural homes. With new monitoring systems, California should be able to better fi

California has formalized an arrangement to use NASA sensing technology to manage wildfire disasters.

The five-year deal was announced Tuesday by NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Officials say the two organizations have already been collaborating for 25 years.

Ames developed a visible, infrared and thermal sensor called the NASA Autonomous Modular Scanner that has operated on NASA's Predator B unmanned aircraft and a manned B-200 King Air operated by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base.

The scanner gathers real-time wildfire imaging data over large-scale disasters in the West and relays it to managers by satellite.