Fires detected easily

The National Academy of Sciences, upon the Forestry Ministry’s initiative, has developed a service to detect thermal anomalies in natural ecosystems based on remote sensing data 

“The service ensures real-time fire monitoring and makes it possible not only to spot a forestland in fire. It is actually combined with our GisLes information system which helps us learn of a fire location in detail,” explains Valentin Shatravko, the First Deputy Forestry Minister. This is especially important when it comes to fires in hard-to-reach areas and border territories, as well as at night.

Moreover, according to the official, an agreement has been signed which envisages CIS co-operation in the event of cross-border fires. “Over the past 5 years, no issues have arisen with Poland, Latvia, Lithuania or Russia. In 2019-2020, most fires were cross-border; they arrived from Ukraine. Happily, the situation returned to normal in 2021 and it seems to me we’ve established co-operation on this matter – at least, there are no more questions at present,” Mr. Shatravko adds.