FireSat will outpace NOAA’s current fire-detection satellites by spotting much smaller fires, down to about 16 feet across, with higher resolution and detailed temperature profiling across a range from cool to hot fires.

Using advanced thermal sensors, FireSat can identify tiny fires such as a beach bonfire and distinguish smoldering low-temperature fires from hotter flames, enabling better assessment of fire growth, movement, and emissions affecting air quality.

Initial satellite data will be shared in the coming months with Cal Fire, Oregon, Texas, Australia, and Portugal, with Cal Fire distributing findings to Southern California fire agencies and the Brazilian Amazon Environmental Research Institute receiving data for the Amazon Basin.

Cal Fire and other agencies are increasingly adopting tech-led firefighting approaches, including autonomous aircraft and AI-assisted image analysis from lookout towers, with FireSat’s network expected to enhance early detection and evacuation planning.

Experts caution that translating satellite data into actionable firefighting decisions will take time, but the data could improve predictive models and risk assessments for future fires.

The project is led by Earth Fire Alliance, backed by $69 million in grants from the Bezos Earth Fund, Google, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, with Muon Space building the satellites and partnering with Cal Fire and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

FireSat envisions a global network of 50 satellites delivering high-resolution wildfire imagery every 20 minutes, beginning with three satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

FireSat data will empower incident commanders with faster, more informed decisions and longer uninterrupted observation of fires, overcoming limitations posed by winds and smoke that hamper aircraft-based spotting.