Purchasing an Early Wildfire Detection System for Cortes Island

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Cortes Island is close to raising the funds for a wildfire detection system that identifies fires within minutes of their inception. In today’s interview Claudia van der Vorm explains what SenseNet is and Cortes Island Fire Chief Eli McKenty says why he thinks we need it.

 Claudia van der Vorm: “SenseNet is a Canadian company based out of Vancouver. They work on very early wildfire detection, in most cases under the minute, they can detect a fire when it's still in soldering stages. So when we don't smell it, we don't see it, in areas hard to access. They have a combination of sensors, camera, satellite, and a platform that all together really allows that early detection, prevention and mitigation.”

“Sensors basically are really placed in the areas that are at most risk or difficult to access. A camera can basically oversee the whole island and monitor 24 7 for any smoke. The satellite is really for if it is getting bigger.”

“The moment some activity is happening, the sensors will detect, they will start to analyze. The camera zooms in, a camera that oversees over 75 kilometers, but it also zooms into the areas. It can detect if it's a campfire. The fire department gets a notification and it also gets the cause. What is the spread location, spread and that incorporates the vegetation, the weather, the wind patterns, and things like that.”

“It also allows a little bit of prevention, so it's dry, or the weather combination is such that it's already high risk.”

Cortes Currents: Where is SenseNet in use right now?

 Claudia van der Vorm: “It's on the Sunshine Coast. The city of Vernon actually has it already for three years, and even the recent Vernon fire they knew exactly where they knew the direction, they knew the fire spread, and they managed the fire very quickly. In the three years that Vernon has the system, they haven't had a fire outbreak, but they averted over 200 fires.”