Christian Little, the head of the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) met with researchers from the Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (AC3E) of Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María to analyze technological solutions to contribute to the prevention and early detection of forest fires.

Last summer, a series of fires with multiple focal points occurred between the regions of Maule and La Araucanía, fueled by a heatwave and a decade-long drought. The fires burnt 426,000ha, hundreds of homes and caused significant damage to flora and fauna.

As more fires are predicted, CONAF is constantly looking for solutions. Recent attempts have led officials to AC3E and the technological tools it develops, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence, sensors, data analysis, modeling of native forests, mathematical analysis and geographic statistics, the latter being particularly useful for planning safe areas.

Little was accompanied by Renzo Galgani, who oversees protected wildlife areas, and Pablo Lobos, the head of the forest fire protection department. They talked with senior researchers Dr. Héctor Ramírez and Dr. Marcos Orchard, and researchers Dr. Constanza Ahumada and Dr. Ronny Vallejos, as well as the head of AC3E’s Technology Transfer Unit, Diego González.

Cooperation initiatives like these make it possible to show how scientific and technological research are a fundamental development pillar and key for improving general quality of life.