Greece launches satellite network to detect wildfires early

In response to an aggressive wildfire season, Greece has put into operation a quartet of satellites launched in May that constantly observe the nation's terrain for heat signatures. The orbiting sensors can detect fires as tiny as four-by-four yards and, using AI, filter out false alarms before sending alerts to responders in roughly 20 to 30 minutes. Colonel Zisoula Ntasiou, who oversees aerial firefighting in the Athens area, said the rapid information could help save lives and reduce damage.

The system has already tracked two fires on Crete, where two volunteer firefighters were lost after becoming trapped. Officials, including Minister Dimitris Papastergiou, stress that the technology offers a new tool to manage fires more dynamically, though it is not yet a real-time imaging solution.