Case Study: Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation advances rapid wildfire detection with Planet

Linking Ground and Space Systems To Autonomously Assess Wildfires

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, along with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) and UC Berkeley, sought a way to rapidly detect and assess wildfires in their earliest stages to minimize damage and efficiently deploy resources. Their challenge was to autonomously integrate different data sources into a single cohesive system for timely fire intelligence. They collaborated with vendor Planet to utilize its high-resolution satellite imagery and Tasking API.

Planet’s solution integrated ground-based sensor data with its Tasking API to autonomously trigger satellite image collection. When sensors detected a fire, a script automatically tasked a Planet SkySat satellite to capture imagery of the exact location. This successful proof of concept demonstrated that the seamless, automated process could deliver critical imagery within hours of a fire's ignition, providing accurate information to aid first responders and setting the stage for future real-world applications.

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Dave Winnacker

Chief