NASA engineers and scientists recently tested a new instrument, the Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker (c-FIRST), during the January wildfires in California. The B200 King Air aircraft, based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, flew over the wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena to observe the impacts of the fires in near real-time.
Managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, c-FIRST gathers high-resolution thermal infrared images and data about the terrain to study the effects of wildfires on ecology. The instrument can capture the full temperature range across a wide area of wildfires, providing crucial information for better understanding fire behavior.
Traditionally, infrared images have struggled to convey the nuances of high-temperature surfaces above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, inhibiting scientists’ ability to understand wildfires fully. However, c-FIRST combines advanced imaging technology with a compact design, allowing scientists to detect smoldering fires accurately and quickly.
The data collected by c-FIRST can help scientists estimate the likelihood of fire spreading, monitor smoldering fires more effectively, and track how fires evolve over time. By testing the instrument on the B200 King Air, the team is evaluating its readiness for future satellite missions investigating wildfires.
In a time when wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe, instruments like c-FIRST could provide valuable data to aid firefighting agencies in combating fires more effectively and understanding the ecological impacts of these extreme events.
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