Early wildfire detection system could save millions of dollars

A network of 250 solar-powered sensors threaded through one of Northland's most significant forests can now detect a fire before it's even visible, with the technology potentially saving millions of dollars in firefighting costs.

The sensors have been installed throughout the Waitangi Endowment Forest as part of what developers are calling one of the country's most advanced wildfire protection initiatives.

Using data about local vegetation and soil types, the system alerts forest managers to changes in conditions that precede a fire — detecting the chemical signatures of smoke before flames take hold.

"The gas sensor along with AI is able to detect smoke signatures, such as your volatile organic compounds and volatile sulfurous compounds," said Sohan Domingo of Dryad Networks, which developed the technology.

The stakes in Northland are high. A major blaze near Cape Reinga in 2023 took eight days to extinguish and cost more than $1.5 million to contain. The Waiharara fire two years earlier burned for 50 days and cost more than $10 million to fight.

Fire and Emergency NZ wildfire scientist Grant Pearce said the speed of detection was critical to keeping those costs down.

"The sooner a fire is detected and reported, the sooner we can get resources underway, and that way we can keep it as small as practically possible," he said.

"As fires escalate in size, the costs can increase very rapidly due to those increasing numbers of aircraft and other resources and manpower that are deployed."

That cost can be witnessed on a national scale too.

The 2017 Port Hills fires in Christchurch cost nearly $8 million to fight, with insurance claims topping $18 million.

Similar sensor technology combining thermal imaging and air quality monitoring were installed near Christchurch's Port Hills last year, where a 2024 blaze at the Adventure Park was detected rapidly enough for crews to watch and respond in real time.

For the Waitangi community, the technology protects more than trees.

"The Waitangi Mountain Bike Park — which sits within the endowment forest — has taken more than a decade and over $2.5 million in donations and volunteer effort to develop.

"It protects lives and the livelihoods in the tourist economy that the Waitangi Endowment Forest brings," said Far North District Council's Steve Cooney.

Tiffany Holland from the mountain bike park said the forest represented years of community investment that the sensors were now helping to safeguard.

Philippe Boulanger of Adroit Environmental Intelligence, which is leading the Waitangi project, said the installation marked a significant step forward for wildfire protection in Aotearoa.

"The Waitangi Endowment Forest is now home to one of Aotearoa's most advanced wildfire protection initiatives," he said.