With Record-Breaking Wildfires on the Rise, New Partnership Aims to Protect Wildlife and Their Habitats

July 21, 2022

EarthRanger and OroraTech Join Forces To Give Conservationists Unprecedented Access to Technology Needed To Detect and Reduce Deadly Fires

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While wildfires are a natural part of the ecosystem, climate change and land-use changes are making these events worse, according to a recent report by the United Nations. From record-breaking wildfires in the Amazon to Australia and even in the Arctic Circle, uncontrollable and extreme blazes around the globe are having a devastating impact on communities, wildlife, and ecosystems. As such, conservationists and scientists having access to the tools needed to identify and reduce wildfires is essential.

To help, EarthRanger has partnered with NewSpace company OroraTech to offer EarthRanger users a crucial wildfire detection and monitoring service from space. The Munich-based OroraTech provides a holistic wildfire intelligence platform with data derived from over 20 external satellites in low-earth orbit and geostationary orbit.

“Actionable real-time data is key to saving lives, wildlife and precious landscapes” said Victor Lujan, Program Manager at EarthRanger. “By putting the power of cutting-edge technology such as OroraTech into the hands of those on the ground, our partners can pinpoint deadly fires before they get out of control, safeguarding the future of wildlife and their habitats.”

*A view of what OroraTech notifications look like in the EarthRanger platform. Through the partnership, conservationists are notified when a fire as little as 10x10 meters begins.*

Through the partnership, OroraTech’s data is now accessible as an additional feature within the EarthRanger platform offering users new insights and ways to combat wildfires. The company’s wildfire service platform can identify and report fires as small as 1,000 square feet or half the size of a tennis court. As well as serving as an early warning system, OroraTech provides users with risk assessments based on things like wind, temperature, terrain as well as damage analysis. And with the launch of its own satellite equipped with a high-resolution thermal imaging camera, the platform is improving the speed and accuracy of detection.

Uncontrollable fires and fires indicating illegal activity are among the chief threats facing Niassa Special Reserve (pictured here) in northern Mozambique. With the new partnership between EarthRanger and OroraTech, conservationists there now have a real-time way of monitoring and reducing fires in the reserve. Image courtesy Colleen M Begg, Niassa Carnivore Project.

“Wildfires are one of the biggest drivers of climate change and a severe threat to ecosystems in protected landscapes” says Björn Stoffers, Co-founder of OroraTech. “We have been working with the US Forest Service in Niassa Reserve, since 2020 and look forward to putting our experience to good use.”

Technology isn’t a silver bullet for wildlife conservation, but the new integration between EarthRanger and OroraTech will help conservationists adapt and respond to rising wildfire challenges around the world.

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‍To learn more about OroraTech and how you can use it in your EarthRanger site, email us at support@earthranger.com. With more than 70 technologies connected to the EarthRanger platform, we’re committed to helping you do more. Find an integration here.