06 Jul Greece leads the way with satellite-powered wildfire detection

As wildfire seasons become longer and more intense around the world, Greece is pioneering a new approach to fire detection that could offer valuable insight for fire services looking to strengthen their own capabilities.

The country has become the first in the world to integrate a dedicated satellite constellation into its national firefighting system, using artificial intelligence and thermal imaging to identify wildfires in their earliest stages and support faster operational decision-making.

The system is built around four thermal-imaging satellites launched into low Earth orbit in May by German company OroraTech. Although each satellite is smaller than a piece of carry-on luggage, together they are capable of detecting fires as small as four metres (13 feet) across — considerably earlier than many traditional satellite systems.

Once a potential fire is identified, AI analyses the data before sending an alert to incident commanders with the fire’s location, estimated size and intensity already calculated. The information enables emergency services to prioritise incidents when several fires are burning simultaneously.

Fire Service Colonel Zisoula Ntasiou, Vice President of the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services, told The Associated Press the technology provides valuable support when resources must be allocated across multiple incidents.

“If you have 10 fires all over Greece and the fire radiative power is lower in some cases, you will not give priority to those ignitions; you will give priority to other ones.”

Artificial intelligence also helps minimise false alarms by distinguishing genuine fires from other heat sources, including solar panels, industrial rooftops and sun-heated rock formations, before alerts reach emergency responders.

The technology has been introduced as Greece continues to face increasingly severe wildfire seasons. The country experienced its hottest summer on record in 2024, while 2025 ranked as its third hottest. Recent years have also seen some of Europe’s deadliest and largest wildfires, prompting continued investment in detection and response capabilities.

The satellite network complements Greece’s existing drones and ground-based monitoring systems and forms part of a wider European Earth observation programme that will combine thermal, radar and optical satellites. Additional satellite launches are planned later this year. The cost of that network is being funded by the EU with a price tag of €200 million (US$227m).

While developed to address Greece’s own wildfire challenges, the initiative demonstrates how space technology and AI are beginning to play a more prominent role in modern wildfire management, providing a model of how emerging technologies can enhance situational awareness and support emergency response.