New Firefighting Technologies Could Help Battle Blazes Like Those in France and Spain
New Firefighting Technologies Could Help Battle Blazes Like Those in France and Spain
新型消防技术助力扑灭法国与西班牙等地的森林大火
Spain declared a national emergency in the community of Madrid and the province of Ávila due to the spread of intense wildfires. With fires still burning out of control, this year is shaping up to be one of the most devastating wildfire seasons on record for the region. 由于森林大火肆虐，西班牙宣布马德里自治区和阿维拉省进入国家紧急状态。随着火势持续失控，今年已成为该地区有记录以来最具破坏性的野火季节之一。
“We are facing a dramatic situation, not only in various Spanish provinces but also in regions of neighboring countries,” warned Spain prime minister Pedro Sánchez. He noted that “all available resources” have been deployed to manage the emergency in the cities of Ávila, León, Toledo, Madrid, and other parts of the country amidst a national state of emergency. 西班牙首相佩德罗·桑切斯警告称：“我们正面临严峻形势，不仅是在西班牙的各个省份，邻国的部分地区也同样如此。”他指出，在国家紧急状态下，政府已部署“所有可用资源”来应对阿维拉、莱昂、托莱多、马德里及全国其他地区的紧急情况。
France has also been hit by massive blazes that have spawned their own weather. All told, the two countries have seen fires burn over more than 741,000 acres, according to European Forest Fire Information System, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to evacuate. Wildfires in Spain have burned double the annual average area, while in France, this year’s fire season has been six times more destructive than normal. 法国也遭受了大规模火灾的袭击，甚至引发了局部的极端天气。据欧洲森林火灾信息系统统计，两国总计有超过 74.1 万英亩的土地被烧毁，数十万人被迫撤离。西班牙的野火过火面积已达到年平均水平的两倍，而法国今年的火灾破坏力则是往年的六倍。
Extreme heat has helped fuel the fires as has abnormally dry weather that’s primed vegetation to burn. The same phenomenon is playing out around the world, largely driven by climate change. With more megafires burning and even more on the horizon, firefighters are looking for new tools to combat them. That includes efforts in Spain, where the country has developed or tested technological innovations to prevent, detect, and contain forest fires. 极端高温和异常干燥的天气使植被极易燃烧，从而助长了火势。在气候变化的驱动下，同样的现象正在全球范围内上演。随着更多特大火灾的发生以及未来潜在的威胁，消防员们正在寻找新的工具来应对。西班牙目前已开发或测试了多项技术创新，旨在预防、探测并控制森林火灾。
Ecofire
Ecofire（生态灭火剂）
This is a biodegradable liquid composed of various 100 percent organic substances in a water-based formula. It’s up to 40 times more effective at extinguishing fires than water, while it acts six to 10 times faster. The product can also be applied preventively to vegetation to create an insulating layer that blocks heat and oxygen and prevents combustion at temperatures of 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher. 这是一种由多种 100% 有机物质组成的生物可降解水基液体。其灭火效率比水高出 40 倍，灭火速度快 6 到 10 倍。该产品还可预先喷洒在植被上，形成一层隔热层，阻隔热量和氧气，从而防止植被在 100 摄氏度（212 华氏度）或更高温度下燃烧。
Predifire
Predifire（火灾预测系统）
Once a wildfire has exploded, it’s harder to battle it. That makes better predictions vital to ensuring resources don’t get spread too thin. Predifire is an early-warning system for forest fires supported by the University of Córdoba and the companies Automatismos ITEA and Somnum Technologies. The technology combines artificial intelligence, sensors, and autonomous drones to identify fire outbreaks when they’re just a few acres. Its goal is to reduce response time and facilitate early intervention. 一旦野火爆发，扑救难度将大大增加。因此，更精准的预测对于确保资源分配至关重要。Predifire 是一个森林火灾预警系统，由科尔多瓦大学以及 Automatismos ITEA 和 Somnum Technologies 公司共同支持。该技术结合了人工智能、传感器和自主无人机，能够在火灾仅蔓延几英亩时就将其识别出来。其目标是缩短响应时间并促进早期干预。
SenForFire
SenForFire（智能传感器网络）
Other monitoring systems are also under development. They include SenForFire, a European project involving the Spanish National Research Council, the University of Extremadura, and various Spanish companies. Its goal is to strengthen prevention and early detection through wireless networks of low-cost smart sensors. These devices detect and measure, in real time, combustion-related gases, environmental variables, and weather conditions to identify signs that predict the onset or progression of a fire. 其他监测系统也正在开发中。其中包括 SenForFire，这是一个涉及西班牙国家研究委员会、埃斯特雷马杜拉大学及多家西班牙公司的欧洲项目。其目标是通过低成本智能传感器的无线网络加强预防和早期探测。这些设备可以实时检测和测量与燃烧相关的气体、环境变量和天气状况，从而识别预示火灾发生或蔓延的迹象。
Wildfire Assessment Model
野火评估模型
Developed by Spanish researchers with funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation, this AI model uses neural networks to analyze atmospheric variables and an index of how green vegetation is based on satellite imagery. Using this information, it estimates how far a fire might spread, how long it would take to bring it under control, and what amount of ground, human, and aerial resources would be needed to respond to the emergency in high-risk areas. 该人工智能模型由西班牙研究人员开发，并获得了科学与创新部的资助。它利用神经网络分析大气变量，并根据卫星图像计算植被绿度指数。利用这些信息，模型可以估算火灾的蔓延范围、控制火势所需的时间，以及在重点高风险区域应对紧急情况所需的地面、人力和空中资源数量。
Tools for the Public
公众工具
Beyond efforts to fight fires, there are also tools—including many available now—that can help the Spanish public stay safe. The government has an official Civil Protection app to access emergency information, warning maps, and emergency services. 除了灭火工作外，还有一些工具（包括许多现有的工具）可以帮助西班牙公众保持安全。政府提供了一款官方的“民防”（Civil Protection）应用程序，用于获取紧急信息、预警地图和紧急服务。
Google Maps features a layer capable of triggering emergency alerts and displaying the perimeters of wildfires in Spain. There is also Incendios España, a real-time map platform that shows the locations of active wildfires across the country using satellite data. 谷歌地图（Google Maps）提供了一个图层功能，能够触发紧急警报并显示西班牙境内的野火范围。此外，还有一个名为“Incendios España”的实时地图平台，利用卫星数据展示全国范围内活跃的野火位置。
This article originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish. 本文最初发表于《连线》西班牙语版，由西班牙语翻译而来。