Wildfires in Greece: Saving Lives through Early Detection and Response

Each summer, the destructive threat of wildfires looms large in many of Europe's warmer Mediterranean climates.

Croatia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, and Greece in particular are susceptible to forest fires, the rapid spread of which are due to a confluence of three factors: high temperatures, low rainfall, and high winds.

And with the impact of climate change, the situation is worsening. In 2023, 504,002 hectares of land was burnt in the EU, totaling an area twice the size of Luxembourg.

Preventing the spread of wildfires to urban centers and the irreparable damage they cause to natural ecosystems is an urgent priority for Mediterranean nations and regions across the globe, such as Africa and the United States, that suffer forest fires.

Prevention is better than cure

In 2022, Huawei partnered with the Greek startup PROBOTEK on a pilot project to develop an early-warning fire detection system comprising 5G, sensors, drones, and AI.

In a pioneering initiative in Syggrou Forest, a 950-hectare expanse situated on the outskirts of Athens, an array of sensors has been strategically deployed on trees to monitor air particulates, CO² concentrations, and temperature. The real-time meteorological and geomorphological data obtained serves the dual purpose of identifying potential fire hazards and alerting the central command of these across a 5G network.

Upon receiving an alert, the command center dispatches a drone to the location and transmits real-time video footage. Specialized AI algorithms then analyze the stream from the drone to assess the area where the alarm occurred and whether emergency protocols need to be initiated.

Sensors detect possible fires and transmit the data to the command center, prompting drone deployment

The integrated solution is designed to facilitate a prompt emergency response within the critical 'golden 15 minutes' of detection, a timeframe conducive to optimal wildfire containment. In 2024, the project entered Phase II, with new partner National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) coming on board alongside PROBOTEK and Huawei Greece.

In July 2024, NKUA and PROBOTEK conducted a smoke and fire simulation using their respective CIVIC/DRYADS and VeNUS early warning solutions. Connected by a 5G network, sensors in the forest prompted the command center to deploy an automated drone to the test site to collect and transmit real-time video footage.

AI analysis was able to identify the fire and smoke simulation in real time and predict:

• The fire's path and area it would cover
• The time it would take to reach inhabited areas
• Which areas would be at risk from fires and require evacuation
• Information about evacuation routes

I am particularly proud of the CIVICS/DRYADS civil protection system, which was developed by our researchers with hard work, and can contribute significantly to effective crisis management. After the initial successful synergy with the Municipality of Vari, Voula, Vouliagmeni, we hope that its implementation will be extended to many more municipalities and other civil protection related entities. Athanasia Alonistioti,
Professor of National & Kapodistrian University of Athens and Head of the SCANlab Research Group

The development of our VeNUS early warning system represents a significant step forward in preventing and responding to wildfires, as it covers vast areas in a short period of time and provides immediate and clear situational awareness for rapid response by emergency services and first responders. Panagiotis Apostolopoulos,
Co-Founder, COO, PROBOTEK

Phase II of the project extends the system's functionality from Phase I to provide fire spread analysis, evacuation planning, and route planning for fire trucks and ambulances. It can also estimate how many people in the area will be affected by the fire, and send personalized notifications via an app to residents' phones, suggesting evacuation routes based on the municipality's civil protection plans.

Following the implementation of Phase II in a pilot project in 2024, more functionality will be deployed in future phases of the project.

It is expected that the end-to-end disaster relief process enabled by the solution will significantly improve emergency response to wildfires in Greece.

Over the past 20 years, Huawei has introduced leading technologies to the country, believing in the power of innovation to protect the environment, preserve biodiversity and keep citizens and their property safe. It is our great pleasure to support NKUA and PROBOTEK, highlighting the innovative systems they have created in the field of Civil Protection, which contribute significantly to the prevention and response to forest fires. Ren Fujun,
CEO, Southeast European Region, Huawei Technologies