The Biden-Harris administration announced steps to enhance early wildfire detection using satellite technology, aiming to protect western communities from increasingly intense wildfires. The Department of the Interior and the USDA's Forest Service signed an agreement with NOAA to utilize data from the NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite — R series (GOES-R) to rapidly detect and report wildfire starts. Supported by a $20 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this initiative aims to improve wildfire detection speed and accuracy.
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides $5 billion over five years for wildfire preparedness, fuels management, post-fire restoration, and fire science. "This partnership is one of the many ways we are investing in technology to improve firefighter and community safety," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "With more real-time information, we can reduce risks to crews and pilots and improve response time."
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland highlighted the federal resources' deployment under Biden's agenda to address climate-driven wildfires. "Using expanded satellite capacity to pinpoint wildfire ignitions and provide real-time data will enable rapid response and informed decision-making for firefighting operations and public safety," she said.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo emphasized the critical role of improved fire weather forecasts in keeping communities safe. "This partnership will expand our ability to detect wildfires, improve response times, and protect families in western communities," she noted.
The GOES-R satellite data will help detect wildfires early, provide detailed wildfire condition information, allow faster hot spot detection, and track wildfire progression in real time. These satellites can detect wildfires before ground reports and pinpoint exact fire locations after smoke reports. Additionally, GOES-R observations are valuable for monitoring smoke plumes, guiding aerial firefighting efforts, and improving air quality forecasts to safeguard public health.
This initiative supports recommendations by the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, established through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to enhance wildfire detection systems and collaboration across organizations and jurisdictions.
