NASA Responds to California Wildfire Emergency Imaging Request
- From: baalke@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:24:27 -0700 (PDT)
July 11, 2008
Steve Cole
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0918
stephen.e.cole@xxxxxxxx
Beth Hagenauer
Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.
661-276-7960
beth.hagenauer@xxxxxxxx
Mike Mewhinney
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-3937
michael.s.mewhinney@xxxxxxxx
RELEASE: 08-172
NASA RESPONDS TO CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE EMERGENCY IMAGING REQUEST
WASHINGTON -- A remotely piloted aircraft carrying a NASA sensor flew
over much of California earlier this week, gathering information that
will be used to help fight more than 300 wildfires burning within the
state. Additional flights are planned for next week.
The flights by NASA's unmanned Ikhana aircraft are using a
sophisticated Autonomous Modular Scanner developed at NASA's Ames
Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. The flights are originating
from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base,
Calif. Ikhana's onboard sensor can detect temperature differences
from less than one-half degree to approximately 1,000 degrees
Fahrenheit. The scanner operates like a digital camera with
specialized filters to detect light energy at visible, infrared and
thermal wavelengths.
NASA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service have
partnered to obtain imagery of the wildfires in response to requests
from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the
California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and the National
Interagency Fire Center.
"NASA's emergency imaging gives us immediate information that we can
use to manage fires, identify threats and deploy firefighting
assets," California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said. "I thank NASA
for providing us with this important firefighting tool that will help
us maximize attacks on the more than 300 active fires currently
burning in California."
The Ikhana aircraft is imaging almost 4,000 square miles from Santa
Barbara north to the Oregon border. The flights provide critical
information about the location, size and terrain around the fires to
commanders in the field in as little as 10 minutes. The first mission
on July 8 flew over 10 individual and complex fires along a route
over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, west to the Cub Complex fire and
south to the Gap Fire in Santa Barbara County.
Fire images are collected onboard Ikhana and transmitted through a
communications satellite to NASA Ames. There, the imagery is
superimposed over Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth maps to
better visualize the location and scope of the fires. The imagery is
then transmitted to the Multi-Agency Coordination Center in Redding,
Calif., and the State Operations Center in Sacramento, which
distribute fire data to incident commanders in the field.
"Because Forest Service assets are stretched thin, NASA was asked to
provide additional resources as a supplement to existing infrared
fire imaging operations," said Jim Brass, co-principal investigator
for the Western States Fire Mission at Ames.
close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, which isFrom a ground control center, NASA pilots are flying the aircraft in
allowing flights within the national airspace while maintaining safe
separation from other aircraft. The FAA is allowing NASA
unprecedented flexibility to fly these missions in support of the
California firefighting effort.
NASA was working with the Forest Service on a demonstration mission
later this summer, but moved up the schedule in response to the
widespread fires. The system was proven during a series of wildfire
imaging demonstration missions in August and September 2007 and
tested operationally during the Southern California fires of October
2007.
"The NASA/Forest Service team gathered six weeks earlier than planned
because of the extreme fires in Northern California," said Vincent
Ambrosia, NASA Ames' principal investigator for the fire mission.
"The team will provide state and federal agencies with critical fire
intelligence by using NASA aircraft and technology."
NASA's Applied Sciences and Airborne Science programs and the Earth
Science Technology Office funded development of the fire sensor. In
the hands of operational agencies, the benefits of this NASA research
and development effort can support nationwide wildfire fighting
efforts.
NASA satellites also are capturing imagery of the wildfires to fill
in
gaps in airborne imagery. For a collection of the latest NASA
satellite and Ikhana images, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/fire_and_smoke.html
-end-
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