The "Anti-Lightning" Wildfire AI Tech Firm Skyward Gets $1M In Funding From British Columbia. Collaboration Trials To Begin In July.
Skyward Wildfire Technologies, a Vancouver‑based firm that blends AI analytics with drone‑delivered cloud‑seeding chemicals, has secured a $1 million CAD (approximately $740,000 USD) grant from the British Columbia government to test its anti‑lightning system. The field trials, slated to start in July, will operate out of Kamloops and target storms that could spark lightning‑induced fires. In 2024, lightning accounted for 70% of BC wildfire ignitions and 97% of the burned area, underscoring the urgency of new mitigation tools. The partnership includes BC Wildfire Service and Innovate BC, aiming to validate the technology in real‑world conditions.
British Columbia Leads By Example, Passing Law That Mandates Creation Of Health Screenings For Wildland Firefighters.
British Columbia has enacted the Firefighters’ Health Act, obligating the provincial government to develop and maintain a province‑wide health‑screening program for wildland firefighters. The legislation also requires a review of occupational disease presumptions, targeting cancer and mental‑health conditions linked to...
Helicopter Crashes While Conducting Wildfire Bucket Work Near Cape Town. Rotors Strike Cliffside While On The Drop.
A Bell helicopter conducting bucket drops on a Cape Town wildfire clipped a cliffside, crashed, and landed upside‑down on the fire, but the pilot survived with cuts and bruises. The aircraft’s fuel tanks remained intact, preventing a secondary blaze. In...
Early Summer Predictive Wildfire Outlooks: Significant Wildfire Potential Remains, But What Does It Look Like Compared To Last Year?
Predictive Services unveiled new spring‑summer wildfire potential maps, highlighting that significant fire risk persists into early summer. March has already recorded above‑average temperatures and below‑average precipitation across the western United States, intensifying drought conditions. The outlook suggests an early‑season fire...