An aerial view of California wildfires. Photo: NASA

Planet, Salo Sciences, and Vibrant Planet partnered to develop the California Forest Observatory (CFO) — a new platform that aims to dynamically map forest structure and fuel loads down to the tree level, statewide. Combining satellite imagery and artificial intelligence (AI), along with weather, climate, population, and infrastructure data, and supported through funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Observatory aims provide a continuously updated view of wildfire risk in the State of California.

The Observatory will help enable California and other stakeholders to prioritize, plan, and execute treatments of hazardous fuels, improve emergency wildfire operations, and monitor the short-term impacts and long-term benefits of improving forest resilience to wildfire, disease, and climate change.

“With a majority of California’s forests at high risk, the Observatory comes at a crucial time,” said Helge Eng, Deputy Director of Resource Management at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). “The data and technologies available today can help us better see, understand, and mitigate risk, as well as coordinate action to save lives and property.”