Nordic countries rely on aerial surveillance to combat wildfires

According to the FIREBAR – Developing wildfire observation in the Barents region report, aerial surveillance using manned aircraft is an established method for detecting wildfires in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Airline surveillance is often carried out by volunteers from aviation clubs who fly over predetermined routes, observing smoke and fire on the ground.

In addition to the valuable work of volunteers, organising aerial wildfire surveillance requires cooperation between authorities, rescue services, municipalities, aviation clubs and service providers. The administration of aerial surveillance is organised in Finland at the national level, in Sweden at the regional level and in Norway at the local level.

Nordic cooperation is necessary to combat wildfires

The research report of the FIREBAR project made use of interviews with experts working on wildfire surveillance.

According to the experts interviewed, manned aerial surveillance is effective and helpful especially in large, sparsely populated areas with difficult terrain. Challenges in aerial surveillance included the availability of volunteers.

The authorities were interested in the possibilities offered by unmanned aerial surveillance and satellite technology. The use of multiple methods simultaneously could facilitate the detection of fires even in weather conditions where aircraft cannot operate. Aviation organisations and clubs mentioned high operating costs and slow data transfer speeds as weaknesses of the technological alternatives.

The various parties involved in aerial surveillance placed value on international cooperation, especially cross-border Nordic cooperation. The interviewees noted that as the Nordic countries face similar problems with wildfires, it stands to reason that we should work together to fight fires.