AI-Powered Data Informs Wildfire Hazard Assessment in California

EAASI Companies: Ecopia AI and Hexagon

Project Overview

Wildfire risk is increasing in many parts of the world, creating new challenges for emergency services and land management authorities. In California, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) selected EAASI Observer Ecopia AI to deliver AI-generated mapping data across the state's Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

Using high-resolution aerial imagery provided by EAASI member Hexagon, Ecopia AI has mapped more than 32 million acres across California, covering approximately 30% of the state. Its AI-powered systems extract detailed information about buildings, roads, vegetation, water bodies, and other features that influence wildfire vulnerability.

The resulting dataset supports more detailed hazard assessment, helping authorities understand the relationships between buildings and their surroundings and make better-informed decisions about wildfire preparedness and recovery.

Technical Solution

Ecopia AI combines high-resolution aerial imagery from Hexagon with advanced AI-powered mapping technology to extract detailed geospatial information across California's Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

The mapping covers a wide range of features, including building footprints, roads, bridges, driveways, parking areas, sidewalks, pavement, swimming pools, sports fields, grass, shrubs, railways, open water bodies, tree canopy and bare land.

The dataset also includes proximity information for individual buildings, such as distances to nearby trees, water bodies, and neighbouring structures. These details help CAL FIRE assess factors that may influence fire vulnerability and spread.

By automating the extraction of geospatial features across such a vast area, the project provides consistent, detailed information at a scale that would be difficult to achieve through manual mapping alone.

Project Benefits

The combination of high-resolution aerial imagery and AI-powered feature extraction supports several aspects of wildfire management.

The project enables authorities to:

• Improve wildfire hazard assessment through detailed mapping of buildings, vegetation, and surrounding features.

• Support preparedness and planning by providing geospatial information for hazard zoning and development decisions.

• Inform post-fire damage assessment and recovery through detailed building and infrastructure data.

• Analyse building-level vulnerability using information about nearby trees, water bodies, and structures.

• Support more consistent risk assessment across extensive areas of fire-prone terrain.
  

The project demonstrates how aerial imagery and AI-powered mapping can turn large volumes of geospatial data into actionable information for public safety.

Future Outlook

Although this project addresses California's specific needs, the approach has potential applications in other regions facing increasing wildfire risk, including parts of Europe.

By combining high-resolution aerial imagery with automated mapping and detailed spatial analysis, similar approaches could help authorities improve hazard assessment, support emergency planning and strengthen community resilience.

The collaboration between Hexagon and Ecopia AI also illustrates the value of combining expertise across the geospatial industry. Reliable aerial imagery provides the foundation, while AI-powered processing transforms it into detailed information that can support decisions before and after a wildfire.

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A longer version of this case study can be found in the article AI-Powered Data Informs Wildfire Hazard Assessment in California, published in Rivista GeoMedia.

Learn more about how EAASI members apply crewed aerial surveying technologies to support disaster risk reduction, environmental monitoring, and public safety through the EAASI Use Cases series.