AI technology helps detect fires, but firefighters are still essential

On August 4, 2026, fires in France, Spain and Portugal forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes. In France, four deaths and about 150 injuries were recorded. While fire-fighting techniques remain similar, detection technology has advanced significantly.

Fire detection with AI-powered cameras

In the Gironde region, the most affected area in France, AI-assisted cameras monitor forested areas. They have replaced human observers who previously manned watchtowers, often students, reducing false alarms by distinguishing smoke from dust raised by tractors.

How alerts reach firefighters

Companies such as Midgard and the French startup FireTracking have installed the system. When the camera identifies a smoke plume, an alert is sent to firefighters’ phones, who can open an app and view the site with 40× zoom. The app also shows a map with the exact fire location, nearby houses, and a propagation simulation based on weather conditions.

Impact of response time

A cited example showed that AI detected seven fires 15 minutes before the first phone call. According to experts, those fifteen minutes can limit a fire to two or three hectares, while one minute allows the hotspot to be extinguished with a cup of water, two minutes require a tank, and three minutes already demand the intervention of a Canadair aircraft.

Costs and technology expansion

In the Indre-et-Loire department, 11 detection points were installed at a cost of €1.2 million, covering an area of 6 000 km², predominantly agricultural. The same department records about 300 harvest-related fires per year, a costly problem that AI aims to mitigate.

Limitations of drones and equipment

Although drones are being tested for maritime rescue, there is still no drone technology capable of direct fire combat. AI aids detection, but extinguishing still relies on ground crews pulling hoses. Even with the release of 6 000 liters of water by a Canadair, the fire only lessens in intensity, requiring firefighters to complete the effort.

Outlook for the future

Projects such as the French civil protection’s Condor program are testing solar-powered drones equipped with electro-optical cameras and AI for continuous patrols. Other initiatives, like Spain’s SenForFire, use sensors that measure gases before flames become visible. Startups such as Daidelos aim to develop drones capable of hovering over fires and spraying up to 1.2 tonnes of water, while other companies are working on drones that launch thermal grenades to suppress combustion. Despite these advances, experts like Sergeant Guillaume Millet stress that the technology still does not replace human work; fire suppression continues to depend on firefighters pulling hoses on the ground, a practice that has persisted since the creation of the first modern brigade in the Netherlands in the 1670s.

With information from BBC News.