New Wildfire Detection Tool Scans Social Media Pics to Help Detect Early Signs of Wildfire

Join the proactive fight against wildfires with the launch of tentree's ground-breaking tool, Following Wildfire. Last year, our forest fires set records for their duration and destruction, impacting both people and communities in Canada and beyond. Luckily, this year Canadians will be able to alert local authorities and help spot up to 55%of wildfires that are not easily discovered by existing remote-sensing technologies before they get out of control. With experts predicting an even more severe wildfire season ahead, the need to protect the land we play in has never been greater.

“At tentree, we’re a tree planting company that sells sustainable clothing with the vision to make restoring the planet simple,” said Derrick Emsley, tentree co-founder and CEO. “We plant trees all across the globe, and one of our focuses is planting trees here in Canada that have been lost to wildfires. Our Following Wildfire tool is a way people can help protect our forests and communities by getting outside to enjoy nature and sharing photos using our #FollowingWildfire hashtag.”

Unlike traditional monitoring methods, Following Wildfire uses a proprietary algorithm to scan major social media platforms for images that have used the tag #FollowingWildfire, using AI to detect smoke or flames with a high degree of accuracy in publicly shared images. This cutting-edge technology provides extensive and critical coverage of the activities and areas where human-caused fires ignite.

Here’s how Following Wildfire works:

• Take Action: Canadians join us to help protect our environment by taking photos in the great outdoors and tagging #FollowingWildfire.
• Real-time Monitoring: A proprietary algorithm scans major social media platforms in real-time for images that have used the tag #FollowingWildfire, and display early signs of wildfire: smoke or flames. 
• Risk Assessment: When a potential fire has been detected, the algorithm integrates regional weather and vegetation data to help assess the potential for ignition, spread and burn intensity. 
• Specialist Verification: A trained human wildfire specialist then reviews positive detections to rule out false positives from the AI, validates geo-location, and posts timeline information with the social media user. 
• Swift Action: When an image contains early signs of wildfire, the social media user is instructed to contact their local fire authority hotline to advise of the fire detection. 

By delivering prompt notifications to local fire authorities, Following Wildfire allows Canadians to be part of a collective effort, thereby safeguarding communities, forests, and wildlife from the flames in our very own backyard.

The innovative solution has developed in partnership with Dentsu Creative Canada. 

“Following Wildfire leverages the collective strengths of transformative creativity, data and technology, delivering a tool that we hope will make every Canadian feel they can contribute to helping manage wildfires this season,” said Jordan Doucette, president and chief creative officer of Dentsu Creative Canada. “Our hope this fire season is that every Canadian feels empowered to actively participate in protecting their communities.” 

While some fires are part of a forest’s lifecycle or controlled burns, recent wildfires are leaving forests unable to recover on their own without the help of tree planting. This summer, tentree will match the first 20,000 wildfire trees sponsored through its ReLeaf program, which has planted up to 1 million trees for wildfire restoration to date. Tree planting packages start at $5 here.

Not every fire needs to be wild – together, let's safeguard our forests. Next time you're out in nature, simply snap your photos as you normally would and join the initiative by tagging #FollowingWildfire. For more information about Following Wildfire and how you can get involved, please visit here.