Study finds majority of local wildfire agencies lack advanced monitoring tools and struggle with budget allocation across the wildfire event cycle
GERMANTOWN, MD, July 22, 2024 — AEM, the essential source for environmental insights, today released its 2024 State of North American Wildfire Resilience Report. The comprehensive study exposes critical gaps in wildfire prevention, detection, and management strategies throughout the United States and Canada, underscoring an urgent need for enhanced technological integration and improved resource allocation in the face of escalating climate change-driven wildfire risks.
The multi-agency study, which surveyed 173 public sector wildland fire professionals across North America, uncovered several concerning trends:
- Only 38% of surveyed agencies use wildfire cameras as part of their strategy, with even fewer utilizing advanced tools like AI-supported smoke detection cameras.
- 42% of respondents indicated they don’t use any software to manage the wildfire event cycle.
- At the municipal level, only a small fraction of organizations (37%) allocates a meaningful portion of their budget (10% or more) to prevention and preparedness.
- Nearly half of survey respondents lack a framework for quantifying the value and impact of wildfire management tools.
“These findings are particularly concerning given the increasing wildfire risks associated with climate change,” said Ben Twomey, Director, Product Management – Wildfire Solutions, AEM. “As we face longer, more intense fire seasons, the need for advanced tools and strategies becomes even more critical.”
The study also revealed that while prescribed burning is increasing as a preventative measure, nearly two-thirds of county-level respondents are not utilizing this practice, raising questions about fuel management strategies.
These findings align with other recent global studies, including the Hydromet Gap Report and the World Risk Poll, which indicate broader challenges in environmental monitoring and natural hazard resilience worldwide.
More information about the 2024 State of North American Wildfire Resilience Report can be found here.
About AEM
AEM is combining global technology leaders to empower communities and organizations to survive and thrive in the face of escalating environmental risks. By deploying intelligent sensing networks, operating a secure and scalable data management infrastructure, and delivering high-value analytics through a suite of end-user applications, AEM serves as the essential source for environmental insights. These technologies enable positive outcomes, helping reduce environmental impact and creating a safer world. For more information, visit https://aem.eco/.
