When a natural disaster occurs, the recurring question is: “Could it have been avoided?” Since a definitive answer is rarely reached, it’s more productive to ask, “How could it have been avoided?” Undoubtedly, technology—and its applications in disaster prevention—plays a crucial role in our response.

Natural disasters—whether earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, heat waves, storms, or floods—have grown in both intensity and frequency due to the global climate crisis. In fact, the number of climate-related disasters has tripled over the last 30 years. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 4 billion people now live in areas highly vulnerable to climate change. Among these disasters, forest fires remain one of the most fearsome manifestations.

A Human and Economic Disaster

Fires as devastating as those at Eaton and Palisades in Los Angeles are particularly shocking. Meanwhile, on the other side of the American continent, catastrophic fires have ravaged densely populated areas in Chile—such as Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Santa Juana, Santa Olga, and Quilpué. In 2024 alone, over 1,000 forest fires were recorded in the State of Mexico, and countries like Portugal, Turkey, Brazil, Peru, and New Zealand have similarly witnessed thousands of hectares burned and entire populations evacuated.

In the previous year, the 2023 wildfire season ranked among the worst five in Europe since 2000, according to a report by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC). Wildfires affected over 500,000 hectares of land, including a blaze near Alexandroupolis—the largest recorded in the EU since the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) began tracking fires in 2000.

Adapting our societies to the global challenges posed by natural disasters like wildfires is testing the resilience of human communities. This urgency compels us to adopt disruptive innovations and experiment with systems designed to anticipate—or at least mitigate—such tragedies.

Moreover, the impact extends beyond human loss to economic devastation. The report “The Cost 2024: A Year of Climate Breakdown” by Christian Aid reveals that 2024 has been marked by climate extremes, with damages exceeding 200 billion euros. Additionally, data from the World Economic Forum in 2023 estimates that the average global annual cost of wildfires alone is around $50 billion.

Artificial Intelligence as an Ally

In this context, artificial intelligence emerges as one of the most versatile resources, thanks to its capacity to collect, complete, and analyze vast datasets, thereby identifying patterns that signal the likelihood of extreme weather events.

Advances in AI and predictive analytics continue to progress, yielding increasingly robust results. For example, companies like Space Intelligence employ AI to map over 1 million hectares of land using satellite data, with the aim of understanding the impact of deforestation on the climate crisis.

Projects such as the IKI initiative are also leveraging AI to predict weather patterns in vulnerable regions like sub-Saharan Africa, enabling communities and policymakers to plan more effectively for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Additionally, the company Dive.tech integrates helium balloons, watchtowers, satellite imagery, and deep learning-based image recognition technologies for early fire detection. This technology monitors extensive areas, collecting real-time data to support timely decision-making.

Drones, Satellites and High Resolution Cameras

In 2023, the World Economic Forum showcased four startups dedicated to fighting the scourge of fires efficiently and sustainably. PANO AI leverages artificial intelligence to locate and assess fires, offering surveillance capabilities across diverse terrains. Meanwhile, Oratech employs over 20 satellites to gather real-time data that detects outbreaks early by monitoring fire size, depth, and damage.

Umgrauemeio utilizes high-resolution cameras and satellite imagery to scan Brazilian forests, applying advanced algorithms to detect smoke within seconds. Meanwhile, Flash Forest reforests devastated areas using drones equipped to disperse native species that thrive in post-burn conditions—a single drone can disperse up to 180 seed capsules per minute, which is 100 times faster than traditional manual reforestation methods.