Tackling the Spread of Wilderness Fires with Digital Tech 利用數字技術應對野火蔓延

羅賓·費倫

From the Amazon basin to northern Siberian forests， the wildfires are spreading. However， the technology used to tackle large area fires has become more sophisticated to respond to this threat.從亞馬孫河流域到西伯利亞的北部森林，野火正在蔓延。不過，用于應對大面積火災的科技已變得更加先進。

Wildfires are among the most destructive forces on Earth. When these fires burn into towns and cities on the edges of forests or wildlands， the economic damage and potential loss of life can be massive. Meanwhile， hotter global temperatures and extreme heat waves increase the danger from wildfire spread.

The technology used to tackle large area fires has become more sophisticated to respond to this threat. Firefighters form highly-trained ground and air teams. Helicopters and air tankers carry water， suppressant foam， and flame retarding chemicals direct to fire hotspots.

The state-of-the-art tech behind fighting fires

Teams tackling the California wildfires used the Global SuperTanker1—a modified jumbo jet that carries almost 73，000 liters （19，200 gallons） of fire retardant—alongside the S-64 Aircrane heavy-lifting helicopter， which carries 10，000 liters （2，200 gallons） of water.

These air tankers are used to put out flames and monitor fire spread through sensors and video feeds coupled to GPS data. Fed into sophisticated computer modelling software， they can help predict the fires behavior and possible spread patterns. Computer models are able to provide small area coverage only meters wide， mapping terrain and airflow. Fires are especially responsive to wind conditions and these tools allow firefighters to determine the passage of flames at ground level.

But manned aircrafts need a large investment in maintenance and crew training. Command and control centers are turning to unmanned aerial vehicles （UAVs） to keep costs down and provide additional capabilities.

Smoke can obscure the ground for days at a time or pose a severe inhalation risk to air crews—However， this is not a problem for drones. Onboard high definition， infrared and thermal imaging cameras can provide direction to ground teams， spot vital infrastructure （including power or water lines）， and identify dangerous or flammable objects.

Air crews are regularly prone to incidents and 24 per cent of firefighter deaths between 2006 and 2016 were due to plane and helicopter crashes. This highlights the wisdom of expanding drone fleets to provide support to fire teams.

Infrared and thermal cameras can see through smoke to monitor ground teams and let them know when conditions change. UAVs can provide georeferenced aerial images， heat maps， and temperature scales of fire zones. Specialist drones can even carry hoses to less accessible areas. In the future， swarms of autonomous drones could be used to track wildfires and spot fire spread.

Thermal imaging technology has become widespread and less expensive to use. Handheld cameras and devices that attach to smartphones allow firefighters to see through smoke and find active fire hotspots， or undergrowth2 that is burning without producing smoke.

Other technologies that can save lives include survival items like fire blankets. Often the last line of defense for trapped firefighters， a Sunseeker fire blanket can withstand temperatures of 3，000 degrees fahrenheit. First response firefighters who parachute into wildland fires—known as smokejumpers—are among those who need them most.

Their training at the US Forest Service now includes the PARASIM3 virtual parachute jump simulator to practice for real-life situations. PARASIM provides the same performance as a parachute—where trainers can change wind speed， weather conditions and terrain types—inside a realistic 3D simulation.

Augmented reality helmets that include breathing apparatus alongside computer vision-aided displays are adding to the ground teams capabilities. Thermal cameras inside the helmets mean that firefighters can operate in environments completely obscured by smoke. At the same time they can wirelessly transmit information on what is happening at the frontline to command and control points.

Robots are also making a difference. The Smokebot was developed by a Swedish university to assist fire and rescue services. It collects data in environments with reduced visibility using radar， a laser scanner， a thermal camera and gas sensors. Smokebot can help in forest fire situations mapping large areas filled with dust or smoke， where it is too risky to send in rescue personnel.

Finally to get the bigger picture on fire tracking and monitoring， the US Forest Service and US Geological Survey uses data from the Landsat4 Earth-observing satellites. Data gathered from every major fire in the country since 1984 has been fed into computer models to help predict and prevent wildfires.

Earth-observing satellites commonly detect wildfires in wilderness areas. Their cameras and remote sensors are used to estimate the fires evolution and provide situational awareness5 that saves lives.? ? ?■

野火是地球上最具破壞力的災害之一。當大火燒入森林或荒地邊緣的城鎮，可能會造成重大經濟損失和人員傷亡。同時，全球溫度升高和極端熱浪增加了野火蔓延的風險。

用于應對大面積火災的科技已變得更加先進。消防員組成訓練有素的地面和空中救援隊。直升機和滅火飛機運載水、泡沫滅火劑及阻燃劑直達火災現場。

最先進的消防科技

撲救加州野火的消防隊使用了Global SuperTanker超級滅火機，這是一種經過改裝的巨型噴氣式飛機，可運載近73，000升（19，200加侖）的阻燃劑;還使用了S-64 Aircrane起重直升機，可運載10，000升（2200加侖）的水。

滅火機不僅可以撲滅火焰，還可以通過與GPS數據耦合的傳感器和視頻源監測火勢的蔓延。把數據輸入先進的計算機建模軟件，可以幫助預測火情火勢。計算機模型能夠繪制精確到數米范圍的地形圖和氣流圖。火勢尤其受風況影響，而這些工具使消防員得以在地面確定火勢蔓延的路徑。

但是由于載人飛機需要在機身維護及機組人員培訓上投入大量資金，指揮控制中心正轉而使用無人機，以降低成本和提供附加能力。

濃煙會連續多日遮蔽地面情況，使機組人員面臨吸入濃煙的嚴重風險——但是，這對無人機來說并不是問題。機載高清、紅外和熱成像攝像機能為地面的救援隊指引方向，發現重要的基礎設施（包括電線及水管），識別危險和易燃物體。

機組人員經常容易出事故，在2006年至2016年之間，遇難的消防員中有24%死于飛機或直升機墜毀。這項數據表明，擴大無人機機隊為消防隊提供支持是明智的。

紅外熱像儀可以透過濃煙監測地面救援隊，并在情況有變化時通知他們。無人機可以提供基于地理坐標的航空圖像、熱力圖以及火區的溫標。專用無人機甚至可以將水管運送到難以到達的區域。在未來，可用大量無人機發現野火和追蹤火勢的蔓延。

熱成像技術已經普及且使用成本下降。手持攝像頭及可連接到智能手機的設備使消防員能夠透過濃煙，找到活躍的火點，以及已經起火卻沒有冒煙的林下灌叢。

其他可以拯救生命的技術還有各種救生物品，例如防火毯。Sunseeker防火毯可承受3000華氏度的高溫，通常是被困消防員的最后一道防線。接受應急任務空降到著火荒野中的消防員（也稱“空降消防員”）是最需要這些防火毯的人群。

空降消防員在美國林業局的培訓包括使用PARASIM跳傘模擬器進行實戰演練。PARASIM以3D形式模擬跳傘的真實狀況，教練員可以更改風速、天氣條件和地形類型。

增強現實頭盔配備呼吸裝置和計算機視覺輔助顯示器，提高了地面救援隊的滅火能力。頭盔內的熱像儀能讓消防員在被濃煙完全遮蔽的環境中工作。同時，他們還可以將一線的實時信息無線傳輸到各個指揮控制點。

機器人也正在發揮作用。瑞典某大學開發了Smokebot，用于協助消防和救援行動。它使用雷達、激光掃描儀、熱像儀和氣體傳感器，在能見度降低的環境中收集數據。大片森林被灰塵和濃煙遮蔽時，派遣救援人員風險太大，在這種情況下，Smokebot可繪制出這些地區的地形圖和氣流圖，幫助控制森林火情。

最后，為了更全面地了解野火追蹤和監測情況，美國林業局和美國地質調查局使用Landsat地球觀測衛星收集數據。自1984年以來收集的美國每一場大火的數據都被輸入計算機模型，以預測和預防野火。

地球觀測衛星通常用于探測荒野地區的野火。衛星上的攝像頭和遙感器用來預估火勢的發展，提供可以拯救生命的態勢感知能力。? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? □

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者）

1一種以波音747廣體貨機改造而成的超大型滅火機，是世界上裝載量最大的滅火機，飛機持有者是Global SuperTanker公司。

2 undergrowth下層灌木叢（指林木下的）。

3一種傘降模擬訓練系統，采用了VBS和虛擬現實技術，傘兵戴上VR眼鏡就可以在室內完成高危傘降課目訓練。

4美國NASA的陸地衛星計劃。? 5態勢感知概念最早于20 世紀80 年代由美國空軍提出（即分析空戰環境信息、快速判斷當前及未來形勢并做出正確反應），覆蓋感知（perception）、理解（comprehension）和預測（projection）三個層次。