RAZOR: Can AI stop wildfires before they start?

As our planet warms, scientists are predicting a global increase in extreme forest fires of up to 50 percent by the end of the century. Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, is seeing this increase but the risk is no longer confined only to Southern Europe. RAZOR's Gabrielle Lawrence visits Germany one of the most forested countries in Europe, to see one badly affected forest.

But can we detect a fire before it develops?

A group of scientists from Dryad Networks in Germany are pioneering an AI-enabled early detection system to detect wildfires before they spread. At their test site near Eberswalde, they demonstrate their technology during a controlled burn.

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In Brandenburg, Germany, ecologist Professor Pierre Ibisch studies how decades of monoculture pine planting and drought have turned forests into fire hazards. His team is rethinking forest management — encouraging biodiversity, leaving deadwood in place, and restoring wetlands — to help create more resilient ecosystems that can withstand the rising threat of fire.

But prevention alone isn't enough. In the same forests, start-up Dryad Networks is deploying a groundbreaking system called Silvanet — a network of solar-powered, AI-equipped sensors designed to detect wildfires in their earliest stages. 

Co-founder Carsten Brinkschulte and ecologist Dr. Jürgen Müller explain how each sensor can identify the chemical signatures of smoke within minutes of ignition and instantly send alerts via a low-power wireless network. This early detection system could buy precious time for firefighters before flames spread out of control.

By merging ecology and advanced technology, Europe's scientists and innovators are creating new ways to protect forests, wildlife, and communities.