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Climate change lit the risk of forest fires of the. These startups want to extinguish it

Climate change increased the probability of recent forest fires in southern California by 35%, according to a new study published by World Weather Attribution, an international group of climatic scientists and other experts of a decade.

The study occurs when Los Angeles residents begin to rebuild their lives due to catastrophic fires that exploded earlier this month. The fires were caused by almost perfect conditions: the previous two years were unusually wet, which increased the growth of vegetation adapted to forest fires. This year, climate change treated the region two heavy blows: a late and intense rainy season winds of Santa Ana that fueled the flames and extended coals everywhere.

These extreme climatic conditions will be more common, according to the study, adding a new urgency to a flourishing group of climate adaptation startups that expect to impart the impact of forest fires.

It is likely that extreme climatic conditions now occur once every 17 years. “Compared to a colder climate of 1.3˚ C, this is an increase in the probability of approximately 35%”, the The study authors wrote. “However, this trend is not linear,” they added, stating that the frequency of the fire -prone years has increased rapidly in recent years.

Southern California is no stranger to fire. Its ecosystems have evolved to handle, and even prosper, under low intensity regular forest fires. But more than a century of fire suppression interrupted the natural regime, and in their absence, people have become more the ecosystems adapted to fire.

Today, these areas are known as the urban interface of the forest land, or Wui, and the density of the house there complicates the image. Because the landscape has carved in smaller plots, eliminating excess vegetation often falls on individual owners, which may not realize that they are responsible for the task.

In other places, it is often better to introduce the prescribed burning, in which the land managers begin low intensity fires during climatic conditions that make the low intensity fire easy to contain and direct. The process helps to rebalance the ecosystem and prevent a dry brush from accumulating. But even in places where prescribed burning is possible, it is still difficult to introduce, which requires public acceptance and well -trained equipment.

Startups have Entered the void. Vibrant planet He has developed a platform that helps public services and land managers to analyze a variety of data to determine where the risk of forest fires is. Then, it helps them work with a variety of interested parties, including landowners, conservation organizations and indigenous groups, to develop plans to mitigate the risk.

Once the plans are in their place, new companies intervene to do the dirty work. A company, KodamaModernize forest equipment for remote operations, allowing forests to be diluted at lower costs, reducing the fuel load that can cause catastrophic forest fires.

Other, BarbotIt has developed a remotely operated machine that does the work of a burn prescribed in the relative safety of its metal cover. There, propane torches burn the vegetation while sliding under the machine. Fans at the top of the machine keep the air flowing to the burning chamber, raising the temperature of the fire to reduce smoke and embers. In the back of the machine, the rollers and the shelves of the water extinguish any flames or embers that remain on the ground.

But even with the handling of vegetation and prescribed burning, climate and ecosystems in southern California will not be completely free of forest fires. To further minimize the risk of catastrophic fires, another startup list is working to detect forest fires shortly after they are lit so that crews can respond quickly.

ClothFor example, use AI to cross a variety of data sources, including cameras, satellite images, field sensors and emergency alerts, To automatically detect new fires. Google is also in the game, after working with Mon Space to launch Firesat, which can Image forest fires of orbit Every 20 minutes.

And if forest fires escape early detection and containment, other new companies such as Abertado They are developing tools to protect homes and businesses. Israel -based startup has created a Fire defense system assisted by AI-AI That launches archived projectiles with fire retardants. The automated system can place a retardant perimeter before the fire reaches a property or, if the coals are already flying, it can go to the access points to the flames before they become conflagrations.

Land owners and managers will have to be smarter on how to limit their risk. It is unlikely that there is only one solution, but a combination of advanced technology and old land management.

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