As large wildfires that prompt evacuations, damage homes, and impact local economies become more common, it’s hard not to feel a sense of relief when a wildfire ignites in a remote landscape far from the nearest community.
Yet not everyone can breathe easy when a fire is reported in an unpopulated area. Utility companies with transmission lines running through out-of-the-way places and renewable energy providers with wind turbines and large solar arrays in remote areas are just two examples of businesses whose assets may be at risk from natural hazards when people and communities are not.
"Having [wildfire] hotspot data available to any company in North America or anywhere in the world is hugely important,"' said Mark Carniello, product manager for Indji Systems. "Without it, we and our customers would have much less awareness of where fires are right now and how they might impact their work."
The first word in the company's name, “Indji,” is an Australian Aboriginal term for "close to" and it's a good choice for the company, which offers a real-time hazard monitoring and alert service known as Indji Watch to utility and renewable energy companies in Australia, the United States, Europe, and other countries around the world.
"If you have staff up on a wind turbine 100 meters above the ground in the open countryside of west Texas, you don't want to be out there when there's lightning," Carniello said. "Or, if you're working in a canyon for a utility in California and there's a wildfire 10 miles away, it might take you a while to get out of that area."
Indji Watch's customers also rely on the company's product to ensure their infrastructure are in good condition.
"If a wildfire is approaching a major transmission line, that line could short out and essentially stop operating, so our customers care about the hazards that threaten their operations," said Carniello. "Lightning can actually punch a hole in a wind turbine and if the damage is not addressed quickly, it can cause additional problems. So, our clients need to know where lightning has occurred or where a fire has gone through, because they need to inspect their equipment for damage."
As product manager, Carniello's job is to ensure that Indji Systems products provide customers with the most current information. Because wildfire is among the threats it looks out for, Carniello and his colleagues incorporate active fire data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) into their hazard alert and monitoring products.