Wildfires have become a recurring and deadly challenge across southern Europe, and few countries understand the threat better than Greece. The country has witnessed some of the continent’s worst fire disasters in recent years, prompting authorities to search for faster and more effective ways to detect and contain blazes. Enter ‘fire-hunting’ satellites.
Now, Greece is turning to space technology, deploying a dedicated network of fire-detecting satellites that can identify small fires within minutes and relay critical information to emergency responders.
How do the fire-hunting satellites work?
In May, the country launched four satellites into low Earth orbit. Each satellite is smaller than a standard carry-on suitcase but is equipped with thermal sensors designed specifically to spot emerging wildfires, the Associated Press reported.
Developed by German company OroraTech, the satellites can detect fires as small as four metres (13 feet) across. Traditional satellites often require fires to grow much larger before they become visible from space.
The system continuously scans the ground for heat signatures. When a potential wildfire is detected, artificial intelligence processes the satellite data and automatically sends alerts to firefighting commanders.
The alerts include key information such as the fire’s location, size and intensity, allowing emergency teams to assess the threat almost immediately.
Real-time information matters during wildfire season
The value of the system becomes especially clear when multiple fires break out simultaneously.
Officials say real-time data helps authorities decide which fires pose the greatest danger and should receive immediate resources.
“For example, if you have 10 fires all over Greece and the fire radiative power is lower in some cases, you will not give priority to those ignitions; you will give priority to other ones,” Fire Service Col. Zisoula Ntasiou, vice president of the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services, told news agency AP.
By measuring a fire’s intensity, commanders can allocate aircraft, firefighters and equipment more efficiently during critical early stages.
How AI filters false alarms
Detecting heat from space is not always straightforward. Thermal sensors can also pick up other hot surfaces, including solar panels, factory rooftops and rocky landscapes heated by the sun.
To prevent unnecessary emergency responses, AI models are trained to distinguish genuine wildfire signals from these false positives before alerts reach authorities.
Officials involved in the project say this filtering process is a key part of making the technology practical for day-to-day firefighting operations, reported AP.
A response to hotter summers
The satellite programme arrives as Greece faces increasingly extreme weather.
The country recorded its hottest summer on record in 2024 and its third-hottest summer the following year. Rising temperatures and prolonged dry conditions have heightened concerns about longer and more destructive wildfire seasons.
The new satellites are intended to complement other monitoring tools such as drones and ground-based sensors. Greece has expanded those systems significantly since the 2018 disaster killed over 100 people and forced a major overhaul of country’s wildfire response strategy, the news agency added.
While thermal-imaging satellites are already used in several countries, Greece has become the first nation to fully integrate a dedicated satellite constellation into its national firefighting system.
(With AP inputs)
