German Startup Designs Sensor for Early Forest Fire Detection Based on Gas, Capable of Recognizing Smoldering Fires Within the First 60 Minutes.
In the summer of 2021, wildfires caused unprecedented devastation on the island of Sardinia, Italy, burning over 28,000 hectares of land and forcing thousands to evacuate. Now, the Montiferru area in the western part of the island is one of the regions in the world testing an ultra-early forest fire warning system developed by the German startup Dryad, CNN reported on November 14.
German startup Dryad designs sensors that significantly reduce forest fire detection time. (Photo: Dryad).
Current early warning systems typically rely on smoke detection through visual means, such as satellite imagery, ground cameras, or human observation. However, these systems are often too slow, according to Carsten Brinkschulte, co-founder and CEO of Dryad.
“To create smoke that rises above the canopy and is visible from a distance of 16 to 32 kilometers, the fire beneath must be quite large—possibly the size of half a football field burning underneath. Then, adding the time for firefighters to arrive, the fire may have already grown too large to extinguish,” Brinkschulte stated.
Dryad aims to reduce the time it takes to detect forest fires, identifying them in the smoldering stage—before flames erupt—typically within the first 60 minutes. The company has designed solar-powered sensors connected to a gas detection device.
“The sensor can detect hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds. Essentially, it can ‘smell’ fire. Think of it as an electronic nose that you attach to a tree,” Brinkschulte explained.
Once a fire is detected, the sensor sends a signal wirelessly via an integrated antenna. The signal is relayed to more complex devices and transmitted to the internet via satellite and 4G. Ultimately, the information is sent to forest managers.
“We also issue alerts and can communicate directly with the local fire department’s information technology system. You will receive an alert with the exact GPS coordinates of the sensor that detected the fire,” Brinkschulte added.
The sensors are priced at approximately $50 each. To date, Dryad has installed 300 sensors across 12 test regions in Germany, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, the United States, South Korea, and Italy. Brinkschulte noted that these tests require fewer sensors because the fires are intentionally set to demonstrate how the system works to forest managers.
“We tested the Dryad system in a forest area of about 50 hectares. We set the forest on fire, and the sensors detected it within 14 minutes. This detection time is extraordinary and shows the great potential of the Dryad system,” said Philipp Nahrstedt, manager of 62,000 hectares of forest in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
