Safeguarding Telecommunication: exci’s AI Wildfire Detection Technology

Climate change escalates wildfires globally, increasing their frequency, intensity, and duration. The northern hemisphere experienced a summer of climate-driven extremes. Canada’s record-breaking wildfire season mirrors Australia’s Black Summer. South Asia battled a severe heatwave in April, while the Horn of Africa grapples with a devastating drought. Across the world, communities confront heightened extreme weather events linked to rapid climate warming. The convergence of an El Niño phase and escalating global temperatures amplifies the severity of these situations. With another El Niño on the way, Australia anticipates a scorching and fire-prone summer. While Australia enjoyed three mild fire seasons due to La Niña, this respite led to excessive vegetation growth, heightening wildfire risks, especially in grasslands. 

Bushfires highlight the importance of whole-system thinking. Uncontrolled wildfires disrupt interconnected infrastructure, causing a chain reaction of devastation if one system fails. Fragile networks undermine community resilience to disasters. As such events become more common, the urgency to bolster communication networks intensifies.

This article explores how wildfires threaten communication networks and consequently the safety of communities. We’ll delve into the impact of a disconnected society during wildfires and highlight how excis’s wildfire detection system can safeguard communication infrastructure and in turn, improve the resilience of communities.

Impacts of Wildfires on Communication Networks

Telecommunication networks are vital for community well-being, transmitting essential information and emergency notifications. The 2019/2020 Australian bushfire crisis exposed weaknesses in these networks, prompting Communications Minister Paul Fletcher to urge telecom companies to better prepare for disasters. Amid the devastating bushfires, many mobile towers went offline, cutting off emergency services and supplies. Telstra reported “critical damage,” affecting 36 towers, but over half have been restored. Failures in these networks were primarily due to power supply issues caused by the fires. Backup batteries and generators at communication facilities could only sustain brief power interruptions, often hindered by fire activity or blocked roads.

Although telecom companies promptly responded to the crisis, concerns arose about network resilience during large emergencies. Companies focused on recovery and reinforcing future network reliability. The Australian government and industry acknowledged the need to learn from these events to enhance network resilience during crises. The specter of wildfires poses complex challenges to these crucial communication channels:

1. Physical Destruction: Wildfires not only burn but also weaken or obliterate communication infrastructure. Intense heat can melt essential fiber optic cables, disrupting internet, phones, and vital connections. During the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires, entire regions witnessed the destruction of cell towers and communication lines.

   A stark example is Mallacoota in Victoria, where fires rendered vital communication non-existent. Residents lost essential communication means, underscoring the impact of physical wildfire damage.

2. Smoke Interference: Smoke and ash during wildfires create an invisible barrier, disrupting radio signals and electromagnetic waves. This hampers emergency alerts, communication pathways, and the efficiency of first responders.

   Illustratively, Australia’s catastrophic 2019-2020 bushfire season cloaked major cities like Melbourne and Sydney in smoke, causing significant signal degradation and communication breakdowns.

3. Power Disruptions: Wildfires wreak havoc on power infrastructure, causing outages. Telecommunication hubs and cell towers depend on stable electricity; without it, they become inoperable.

   For instance, during the 2020 Oregon wildfires, fire-induced power outages disrupted cell tower operations, leaving residents without reliable communication.

The Unfolding Catastrophe: Communication Breakdown

Communication infrastructure rupture during wildfires yields harrowing consequences across communities:

Delayed Emergency Responses: Seamless information flow is crucial for effective emergency coordination. Faltering communication systems hinder critical information relay and prompt resource deployment.

Impaired Evacuation Efforts: Timely evacuations are critical during wildfires, potentially saving lives. Disrupted communication hinders residents from receiving vital orders, risking lives.

Panic and Isolation: Disrupted communication isolates individuals and communities, increasing panic and anxiety. People can’t reach loved ones or access accurate information, intensifying vulnerability.

texas national guard black hawks respond to help; Source: https://www.dvidshub.net/

Vulnerable Communities and the Imperative for Adaptation

Many communities are unprepared to face the growing threat of bushfires. Their losses outweigh their ability to adapt, resulting in significant social, environmental, and economic impacts. The breakdown of communication networks during wildfires worsens these challenges:

1. Vulnerable Groups: Certain populations are more susceptible to wildfire impacts due to their social, economic, and political situations. These groups include:

   • Elderly Individuals (Aged 65 and above): Older adults with health issues and limited mobility struggle to respond to wildfires.
   • People with Disabilities: Those with disabilities face increased risks as their health problems worsen during disasters, affecting evacuation.
   • Non-English Speakers: Language barriers hinder communication with authorities, hampering emergency response.
   • Car-Less Households: People without cars struggle to evacuate, often tied to lower income and stability.

2. Business Disruption: Local businesses rely on communication for operations and customer interaction. Network failures disrupt the economy and may lead to job losses.

3. Mental and Emotional Impact: The inability to contact loved ones and obtain accurate information raises fear and anxiety, burdening emergency services and delaying responses.

4. Erosion of Trust: Communication breakdown erodes public trust in authorities, leading to confusion and hindering cooperation.

To address these challenges, comprehensive strategies are urgently needed, including early warning systems for swift responses and effective firefighting.

Local Early Warning Systems Enhance Community Resilience 

An important factor in determining whether a small fire will escalate into a large and expensive one is the initial size of the fire when firefighting resources reach the scene. If firefighting resources are deployed promptly (reducing the time it takes for the first response), the fire’s size will be smaller when they arrive, improving the likelihood of containing the fire before it causes substantial financial harm. Enhancing the speed of fire response can be achieved by investing in early fire detection systems, which can lead to quicker fire detection. 

Central to building community resilience are localized early warning systems. By delivering timely alerts and advanced detection capabilities, these systems empower communities to respond promptly. This enables the effective execution of evacuation plans, strategic resource allocation, and heightened situational awareness.

Strengthening Telecom Network Resilience Against Wildfires: exci’s Innovative Solution 

At the forefront of wildfire detection, exci demonstrates its pioneering role with its state-of-the-art AI models. These advanced models employ deep machine learning algorithms trained extensively on large datasets to distinguish between smoke indicating fire, fog, haze, mist, and dust. This rigorous training regimen ensures unparalleled accuracy and speed. The models’ effectiveness is well-proven through deployment in long-term, large-scale operational scenarios. 

Proven Technology: exci’s Remarkable Achievement Amid the Californian Fire Season

During the catastrophic Californian fire season of 2020/21, exci’s cutting-edge technology stood out. The system processed over One Billion Images from over 1,000 ground-based cameras and analysed 500,000 Satellite Images to identify smoke and heat. Covering an incredible 130 million acres across North America, the system achieved impressive results. During this period, exci’s AI-assisted Fire Management Tool detected 8,672 fires. 66% of the fires were detected within a minute, 95% within five minutes, and nearly 100% within ten minutes, all with an impressively low false positive rate. 

exci’s Progress in Advancing Wildfire Detection in Australia

Proudly certified as Australian Made and Owned, exci oversees an extensive network that spans nearly 25 million acres, encompassing regions from Victoria to Northern Queensland. Since the inception of our system, we have successfully detected an astonishing 110,000 fires and counting. Continuous refinement efforts have led to a remarkable reduction in average detection time, now hovering around a mere minute. This progress underscores the substantial enhancements made in bolstering both the system’s efficiency and accuracy in wildfire detection.