Is it possible to predict where a wildfire is likely to start? Or to say how ferociously it will burn before it has even ignited? Can satellite observations help? Metop-C – soon to become the latest addition to EUMETSAT’s fleet of meteorological satellites – is currently in Kourou, French Guiana, being prepared for launch in November. Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless gas normally present in low concentrations in the air we breathe. Recent wildfires in Chile had a devastating impact on the country, its people and the environment. In our first post, EUMETSAT Chief Scientist Dr Kenneth Holmlund explains some of the challenges to be met in the years ahead.