Google announced that it has expanded the coverage of its AI-powered wildfire tracking tool across 15 new countries across the world including Kenya. This comes after the tech company was able to map over 40 incidents in southern Europe and Africa at a time described as a “record-breaking summer” for wildfire impacts.
The AI-powered mapping tool is designed to draw multiple data sources, such as satellite image banks which are validated against Google’s model for detecting fire scar shapes after fires have been contained. The model enables more accurate and definitive detection of wildfire boundaries compared to using satellite imagery alone.
“We are committed to using technology to help people stay safe during natural disasters,” said Yossi Matias, Vice President & Head of Google Research. “By expanding our wildfire boundary tracker, we hope to empower communities with the information they need to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) has reported wildfires becoming more frequent and more intense as the world continues to experience dire effects of global warming. And even though the most dangerous fire incidents are reported in Australia, Europe and North America, 67% of the area experiencing this global toll has been in Africa.
Kenya, for example, has contributed to 0.6% of tree cover loss between 2001 and 2023. According to Global Forest Watch, there have been 341 high-confidence fire alerts reported so far in Kenya in 2024.
“Using AI, we are able to show detailed wildfire boundary tracking in Search and Maps and through location-based push notifications. Now, during this record-breaking summer, we are expanding this tool to 15 countries across Europe and Africa. We’re surfacing this information through alerts and features that provide information about how to stay safe to people who are near a wildfire,” said Moriah Royz, Google research product manager.
This expansion includes Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Rwanda, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey.
