Latest news with #FNN
Forbes
a day ago
- Climate
- Forbes
Taming Wild Fires Before They Spiral - Part 2: User Experience
WEST DADE, FL - JUNE 10: Flames shoot up from a brush fire as Florida Division of Forestry continue ... More to work on containing the fire that has burned about 50,316 acres on June 10, 2011 in West Dade, Florida. The fire started last weekend as South Florida continues to endure a dry start to the rainy season and drought conditions have begun to appear. The forestry division has the fire about 55 percent contained. (Photo by) Getty Images Part 1 of this article discussed the integration of sensor, drone, artificial intelligence, imaging and aviation technologies to identify lightning initiated fires within 40 seconds, confirm the threat, and mitigate early fire origination points before they spiral out of control. The economic impact of wildfires in the U.S. is staggering, by some estimates in the range of ~$1T/year. The toll on human lives (firefighters and the public) and the environment is also significant, with estimates of ~15,000 lives lost in 2006-2022 due to smoke inhalation alone. Lightning is a major cause of wildfires, accounting for the most acreage burnt (70% of the wildfire-burned land in the West were from lightning-sparked fires) . According to FNN CEO Dr. Istvan Kereszy, "this was a major factor in securing funding from the federal government to develop sensors capable of detecting all lightning within a 20-mile radius and pinpointing the few, high-intensity strikes most likely to ignite fires. These sensors can rapidly alert authorities, giving firefighters critical early warning, and managing them before they spiral out of control". Even in cases where lightning is not the primary culprit, PyroCb (Pyrocumulonimbus) effects can cause secondary lightning, which then initiate hot spots and fires (Figure 1): Figure 1: Pyrocumulonimbus clouds are formed when air is drawn into a smoke plume where it becomes ... More warmer and more humid, making it more unstable. Government of Australia, Bureau of Meteorology. It is therefore critical to consider proactive lightning detection as part of an overall wildfire management plan that can neutralize fire initiation sites before it spreads. Time and Timing is the only thing that matters! This article discusses the user experience of the solutions presented in Part 1 by FNN and their partners, specifically through the lens of three civil agencies - Florida Forest Service (FFS), San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFire) and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (M-DNRC). They all deploy FNN's High-Risk-Lightning Detector™, software and laptop/tablet data visualization powered by ForeFlight, a Boeing company. Florida Forest Service (FFS) Francis Neeley is the Aviation Operations Administrator for the FFS. He provided a few statistics on wildfire occurrences in the state of Florida: As a result, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Wilton Simpson 'has mandated that the Florida Forest Service work efficiently and use technology when possible to provide a safer environment for the residences and guests of the state of Florida, and to protect the natural resources and wildlife of the state'. The state legislature has provided the Florida Forest Service (FFS) with resources to upgrade from a fleet of Vietnam-era aircraft to new state of the art group of aircraft with the most modern technology for early wildfire detection and suppression. (Figures 2 and 3). Figure 2: FFS Aerial Firefighting Fleet Includes Fixed and Rotary Wing Aircraft Patrolling & ... More Inspecting Lighting Strikes Using FNN Software and ForeFlight. Francis Neeley, FFS Figure 3: FFS Aerial Fleet in Action. LEFT: Helicopter Dipping into a Small Lake to Acquire Water. ... More RIGHT: Fixed-Wing Aircraft Circles over a Wildfire & Coordinates Mitigation with Ground-Based Forest Rangers Francis Neeley, FFS The fleet of ~30 fixed and rotary wing aircraft is operated by 23 full time pilots (Mr. Neeley is one). Apart from the aerial resources, FFS also operates ground based fire-fighting units which work in tandem with the aerial resources. The key is to bring resources to bear quickly and efficiently to wildfire hotspots before they spread. The Director of the FFS, Rick Dolan, has created a partnership with FNN to pinpoint strikes with a high probability of starting a wildfire. These locations (determined through GIS integration) are transmitted to pilots through the ForeFlight app. These areas are monitored and information coordinated with ground-based Forest Rangers to mitigate fires early in the cycle. The FNN partnership enables optimal use of resources and early intervention to prevent wildfires spread and destruction of life, property and vegetation. San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFire) With a dry climate, plenty of flammable vegetation, and strong seasonal winds, the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California are one of the most wildfire-prone areas in the United States, according to the US Forest Service. San Bernardino is the largest county in the continental United States, covering more than 20,000 square miles—larger than New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island combined. Nearly 80% of the county's landmass is public, with federal land accounting for the vast majority. SBCFire works in concert with multiple federal (US Forest Service, others) and state (CalFire, San Bernardino County Sheriff Department) agencies to manage wildfires. Budgets are limited, and inter-agency coordination in emergencies is complex, manual and time-consuming. Consequently, embracing innovation and technology to contain incipient fires quickly is critical. The Line Fire started in September 2024 near the community of Highland and spread into the San Bernardino National Forest. It forced an evacuation of multiple communities, and burnt ~45K acres. The original cause of the fire is suspected to be human/arson. However, the smoke caused secondary lightning and created other potential fire initiation sites (1700, see Figure 4, LEFT). FNN sensors were already in place, thanks to federal funding and proactive deployment by San Bernardino County. The district already had a community wildfire protection plan (CWPP), but these are long and detailed documents, good for training, but not effective for real-time efforts and community engagement. FNN helped to translate this plan into an online, real-time digital platform that integrates ArcGIS Online to pair strike location (from its sensor data) with > 30 weather-related variables like flammability, humidity, vegetation, and rain data analyzed by AI algorithms and converted to a digital dashboard that can display historical data and also as real-time tool for firefighters As the fire intensified and began generating PyroCb events, these sensors provided real-time updates on High-Risk Lightning strikes that could potentially ignite new fires. Armed with this information via a Foreflight app (Figure 4, RIGHT), firefighters could target emerging risks and contain the blaze far more effectively. Figure 4: LEFT: The Line Fire Smoke Plume Produced over 1700 Lightning Strikes. RIGHT: The FNN ... More High-Risk-Lightning Dashboard is an Essential Part of the San Bernardino County dynamic GIS-enabled Community Wildfire Protection Plan FNN The combination of early sensor warnings and the GIS enabled dashboard resulted in zero loss of life and property, and greatly minimized burned acreage (45K acres). As opposed to the Line Fire, the Park Fire in Northern California in July 2024 resulted in ~500K burned acreage and cost $350M to contain. It was also human initiated, but spread as the pyroCB effects caused secondary lightning strikes. The Los Angeles fires in January 2025 were initiated due to failures in the electric transmission network. The occurrence of pyroCB and secondary lightning is unclear, but it incurred even greater losses, see Part 1 of this article. These jurisdictions do not currently have the kinds of proactive wildfire detection solutions that San Bernardino County had. SBC Fire Protection Chief, Dan Munsey, is a 30 year firefighting veteran. He is also an acknowledged expert on wildfire management and has testified at the U.S. Congress on multiple occasions. He will be testifying to the House Natural Resource Committee on 26 June, 2025 at an oversight hearing titled 'Fix Our Forests: Advancing Innovative Technologies to Improve Forest Management and Prevent Wildfires. ' He is also a judge for the XPRIZE Wildfire competition, a 'competition incentivizing the innovation of firefighting technologies'. The goal is "the development of new technologies that can rapidly and accurately detect, characterize, and respond to wildfires before they become destructive.' FNN is one of the semi-finalists . Chief Munsey's vision is to 'is to keep fires to 100 square feet or less, 90% of the time' . Current target metrics are ~500,000 sq. ft., 90% of the time. The 5,000X vision needs technology, which he has initiated with multiple providers like FNN. The goals are: Improve stakeholder communication and involvement in wildfire preparedness efforts Identify and prioritize communities and areas to reduce volume of flammable vegetation, and proscribed burning to reduce wildfire risks Direct and optimize resources optimally and effectively to detect and control early sites Achieve the 5,000X vision Achieving the 5,000X vision also needs autonomy approaches with unmanned systems and autonomous robotics for aerial wildfire verification and management. To this end, Mr. Munsey organized an event to showcase the operation of an autonomous Blackhawk drone named Rain (Figure 5): Figure 5: Autonomous Wildfire Extinguishing Demonstration Using a Blackhawk Drone SBCFire, & Sikorsky Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (M-DNRC). M-DNRC installed FNN detectors and digital tools in late 2024 via a federal grant (similar to the San Bernadino example above). Don Kopple is a Program Manager in the Fire Protection Bureau, Forestry Division which is part of M-DNRC. He indicated that 25% of the wildfires in Montana are due to lightning. These fires cause 55% of the forest vegetation destruction, which typically occur in unpopulated and remote regions including mountains. Holdover fires can smolder for days and suddenly accelerate as combustible conditions develop. Smoke from such fires are difficult to detect. This provides the motivation to deploy lightning detectors to provide proactive alerts on high risk strikes. Aerial fleets patrol these locations to inspect and verify at which point, aerial and ground firefighting resources are deployed. Figure 6 shows the types of aerial fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft (piloted) that M-DNRC currently has (3 fixed wing, 5 rotary wing). Figure 6: Fixed and Rotary Wing Aircraft for Wildfire Detection and Suppression M-DNRC Fixed wing aircraft are equipped with daytime cameras and perform inspection and verification of high-risk fire sites, after which rotary wing assets perform emergency fire suppression until ground fire-fighting resources can get to the area. There is also an additional fixed wing aircraft (Figure 7), currently on contract from Bridger Aerospace, a Montana-based company that specializes in aerial firefighting. These are equipped with a payload consisting of short, medium and long wave infrared cameras that can detect thermal hotspots during day or nighttime. Apart from sensing and verification function, these aircraft can also scoop up to ~1500 gallons of water from neighboring location for temporary firefighting. The payload and AI-based perception software is provided by Overwatch Imaging, an Oregon-based company that specializes in sensor payloads and software for various missions including firefighting. Figure 7: Bridger Aircraft (L) with Overwatch Sensor Payload (C) and Resulting IR and Visible ... More Imagery (R) Bridger and Overwatch Imaging M-DNRC is also in the process of acquiring three additional fixed wing aircraft (Cessna 206) which will carry the Overload Imaging payload. The peak fire season in Montana is May-October. Mr. Koppel is looking forward to the FNN, Bridger and Overwatch engagement to ' prioritize safe, aggressive initial attack. Our fire program is using every available tool, including infrared technology, to detect wildfires earlier, before they produce visible smoke. Early detection allows our firefighters to respond quickly while fires are still small and manageable, helping to protect Montana's communities and natural resources while reducing costly suppression efforts from large fires'. Currently, FNN products are also deployed in Australia and Brazil, mainly as a test case to study performance in the Southern Hemisphere which has different climate patterns and ecosystems. In the United States, Oregon, Idaho and New Jersey are in the process of deploying and testing solutions similar to the three examples cited above. Hopefully, other states with high wildfire risks will adopt some of these technologies. It is clear that proactive solutions to prevent wildfires spinning out of control is critical. Since primary or secondary lightning plays a big role in initiating wildfires, detecting high risk locations and using GIS-enabled real time digital apps to confirm and mitigate infant fires is an imperative to minimize loss of life, pollution, property and natural resource damage. Use of advanced sensors (thermal, LiDAR0 is also critical as is using aerial autonomy solutions for rapid deployment.
Tokyo Weekender
7 days ago
- Business
- Tokyo Weekender
Shinjiro Koizumi Tops Poll for Japan's Next Prime Minister
According to a joint opinion poll conducted by the Sankei Shimbun and FNN (Fuji News Network) on June 14 and 15, Shinjiro Koizumi is the people's choice to be Japan's next prime minister. The current Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister finished at the top of the poll with 20.7% of the vote, 4.3% ahead of the former Minister of State for Economic Security Sanae Takaichi . Koizumi finished behind Takaichi in May's poll. List of Contents: The Return of Shinjiro Koizumi Falling Rice Prices Related Posts The Return of Shinjiro Koizumi It's been quite a turnaround for the 44-year-old son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. After finishing third in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership race last September, some wrote off his prospects. He was seen as too inexperienced; a politician who spoke a good game, but lacked substance. Following last year's disappointing election result, he was appointed the LDP's election chief, but resigned when the party suffered a significant loss in October's Lower House election. Away from the political spotlight for several months, Koizumi made his return in May. Taku Eto's position as Agriculture Minister became untenable after he said that he 'never had to buy rice' as he got it free from supporters. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba subsequently replaced him with Koizumi. 'I was instructed to put rice before anything. At this difficult time, I will do my utmost to address the high rice prices that people are struggling with daily,' the former Environment Minister told reporters. Falling Rice Prices The appointment brought immediate results. The average price of rice has been steadily decreasing nationwide. On Monday, the Agricultural Ministry announced that it fell ¥48 from the previous week to ¥4,176 per 5 kilograms. That's the third consecutive week it has decreased. In late May, stockpiled rice harvested in 2021 and 2022 was put on sale through no-bid contracts. Supplies quickly sold out as long lines of customers waited to buy the cheaper grain. Commenting on Koizumi's policies, Hiroshi Shiratori, a professor of political science at Hosei University, said , 'He's been more effective at capturing the public imagination than the LDP expected. If the LDP can win the elections, lawmakers may begin to see him as their best option as leader.' Koizumi certainly appears to be a lot more popular with the public than the current prime minister. Ishiba finished third in the Sankei Shimbun and FNN poll with 7.9% of the votes. Constitutional Democratic Party leader Yoshihiko Noda came fourth with 6.8%, ahead of former Foreign Minister Taro Kono (4.2%), Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki (4.1%) and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (2.4%). Related Posts Introducing the Nine Candidates Vying To Become Japan's Next Prime Minister Fumio Kishida To Resign As Japan's Prime Minister Taro Kono Declares Victory in 'War' on Floppy Disks
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Social Security Administration ‘will be using X to communicate' moving forward
The Social Security Administration (SSA) unveiled Thursday that it would use the social platform X to make announcements going forward, instead of traditional press releases or memos typically posted to the agency's website. 'The agency will be using X to communicate to the press and the public — formerly known as Twitter,' Linda Kerr-Davis, SSA Midwest-West regional commissioner told employees in a call Thursday, according to Federal News Network (FNN). 'This will become our communication mechanism,' she told reporters. The shift comes as communications staff at the agency has dwindled due to reassignments in front-facing roles at field offices across the country. Officials announced that regional SSA offices would no longer have fully staffed public affairs offices as a result. 'If you're used to getting press releases and Dear Colleague letters, you might want to subscribe to the official SSA X account, so you can stay up to date with agency news,' Kerr-Davis said, as reported by FNN. 'I know this probably sounds very foreign to you — it did to me as well — and not what we are used to, but we are in different times now,' she added. The SSA's last press release, which was posted March 27 on the website, denied reports that local field offices may be closing. It also features a link to an inactive social media account for the agency that encouraged website viewers to follow the press office on X. The past few months have seen considerable changes at the agency under the Trump administration, which announced new verification standards that were later walked back by officials who said they were evaluating policies to prevent fraud. The updated policies have caused some concerns for rural communities and people who require assistance to travel to the in-person offices or those who have trouble logging in to their accounts online for help. The final memo on its website said the agency would work with the public to address the issues. 'SSA works closely with local congressional delegations before closing any office permanently,' the last release reads. 'The agency also reassigns employees from an affected office to other locations to help communities access in-person services.' Officials noted that while no field offices have been permanently closed, some buildings may have their leases terminated as the department has turned mostly to virtual hearings. The Hill reached out to the SSA for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
11-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Social Security Administration ‘will be using X to communicate' moving forward
The Social Security Administration (SSA) on Thursday unveiled that it would use social platform X to make announcements going forward, instead of traditional press releases or memos typically posted to the website. 'The agency will be using X to communicate to the press and the public — formerly known as Twitter,' Linda Kerr-Davis, SSA Midwest-West (MWW) Regional Commissioner told employees in a call Thursday, according to Federal News Network (FNN). 'This will become our communication mechanism,' she told reporters. The shift comes as communications staff at the agency has dwindled due to reassignments in front-facing roles at field offices across the country. Officials announced that Regional SSA offices would no longer have fully staffed public affairs offices as a result. 'If you're used to getting press releases and Dear Colleague letters, you might want to subscribe to the official SSA X account, so you can stay up to date with agency news,' Kerr-Davis said as reported by FNN. 'I know this probably sounds very foreign to you — it did to me as well — and not what we are used to, but we are in different times now,' she added. The SSA's last press release, which was posted March 27 on the website, denied reports that local field offices may be closing. It also features a link to an inactive social media account for the agency that encouraged website viewers to follow the press office on X. The last few months have amounted to considerable changes at the agency under the Trump administration, which announced new verification standards that were later walked back by officials who said they were evaluating policies to prevent fraud. The updated policies have caused some concerns for rural communities and people who require assistance to travel to the in-person offices or those who have trouble logging in to their accounts online for help. The final memo on its website said the agency would work with the public to address the issues. 'SSA works closely with local congressional delegations before closing any office permanently,' the last release reads. 'The agency also reassigns employees from an affected office to other locations to help communities access in-person services.' Officials noted that while no field offices have been permanently closed, some buildings may have their leases terminated as the department has turned mostly to virtual hearings.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Japan's economy minister Akazawa to head trade talks with US, FNN reports
By Leika Kihara and Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will nominate Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa as trade negotiator with the United States, FNN television reported on Tuesday. Akazawa, during a press conference, said he was not aware of the report and has not been approached by the prime minister on the matter. The report emerged after Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to initiate bilateral discussions on tariffs in a telephone meeting on Monday. Trump has designated Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to oversee trade negotiations with Japan, Bessent said on social media. "The fact the treasury secretary was appointed (to lead trade talks with Japan) may suggest the U.S. administration has a strong interest in areas he oversees," Akazawa said. Bilateral discussions on exchange-rate moves will continue to be managed by Japan's finance minister and the U.S. treasury secretary, Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said in a separate news conference on Tuesday. Bessent's appointment as the head of U.S. trade talks with Japan has heightened speculation among some investors that Washington may pressure Tokyo to help weaken the dollar against the yen, as part of a deal to reduce U.S. tariffs on Japan. A weaker dollar could enhance U.S. exports, while a firmer yen might help moderate rising import costs that have hurt Japanese consumers, some analysts say. "Pressure from Trump, coupled with the Japanese government's intention to prop up the yen against the dollar, could have an influence on the likelihood of further interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan," Yasunari Ueno, chief market economist at Mizuho Securities, wrote in a research note. The BOJ raised interest rates to 0.5% in January and its officials have signaled their readiness to hike rates further if Japan makes progress toward durably achieving its 2% inflation target, or if the risk of excessively high inflation materialises. In a meeting with key ministers to discuss Japan's approach on U.S. tariffs held earlier on Tuesday, Ishiba stressed the need to scrutinise investors' behaviour due to unstable movements in the global financial market, Akazawa said. "I won't comment on the yen's recent rise, though in general, import prices fall when the yen strengthens," Akazawa said, when asked about the yen's recent rebound against the dollar.
