In response to the increasing interest in use of aerial video for forest fire fighting aid, National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS) and fire-fighting units, both of France, have jointly developed a real-time airborne video-based system sustaining accurate and timely decision making. Built from four video sensors, a DGPS and a GIS, the system allows geo-referenced data (ignition point, fire front and perimeter lines) and live pictures of forest fires to enable fire-fighters to quickly "see" through a smoky forest fire and plan their strategy. Contributions of airborne imagery can be noticed at two quite different levels : (1) fire ignition and/or starting point location (mid-infrared sensor) ; (2) knowledge of environment of fire spread (sensors in the visible). The flexibility of the system (low, middle and high flying) allows a detection of small fire starting point and a fire synoptical imagering at the same time. Visualizing images on board helps to perform the initial diagnosis, to anticipate the fire occurrence (initial burnt area and direction and progress of the very edge of fire) as well as the fire fighting strategy to involve. Using a specific air-toground transmission network, analogical images and DGPS data of the fire are transmitted from the fire-fighters survey aircraft flying over the fire to mobile (near the fire lines) and/or static (authorities center) ground stations, and integrated in a GIS. Full-size validations of the system was carried through in the departement of Pyrenees-Orientales (France) during several fire season.
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