Not too long ago, efficiently managing fires in remote locations
meant a “firewatch”: a solitary figure on a high tower, miles
from the nearest settlement, scanning the landscape from dawn
until dusk. A “fire alert” meant either sounding an alarm or
making a radio call, allowing community or agency fire brigades
to respond to the fire as quickly as possible. The need to
detect and quickly respond to fires is no less pressing today.
Fires are occurring on an unprecedented scale across the globe,
significantly altering healthy ecosystems, contributing to
carbon emissions via deforestation, and impacting human health
and economies. IN DEPTH: Learn about CI's forest carbon
projects. Today’s world requires a new level of vigilance, and a
more rapid response. Modern life also demands a slightly higher
vantage point; a firewatch shift that circles the globe and
lasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Future Tech for an Age-
Old Problem Developed as a partnership between Conservation
International’s (CI) Center for App