Google Maps has received significant updates and new features in 2024. Among these is the ability to track wildfires, a feature that has been available in many regions but has only now been launched in Turkey.
Tracking Wildfires with Google Maps
Wildfires are a major natural disaster, particularly during scorching summer months, threatening many countries. Just last month, wildfires occurred in Greece’s Kos, Chios, and Crete islands, Spain’s Extremadura region, and most recently in Paphos, Cyprus.
According to official data, the threat of wildfires has doubled in fire-prone areas across Europe over the past 50 years. Google’s AI-powered ‘Google Maps Wildfire Tracking System’ helps detect and contain these fires before they spread to larger areas.
Previously available only in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico, this tracking system can now be used in 15 more countries, including Turkey.
Google’s AI-driven wildfire tracking model is designed by training on multiple data sources, including various satellite imagery datasets. The maps validate the trained data by comparing it with measurements from past fire incidents, offering not just satellite images but scientific data as well.
The new countries where Google has launched this wildfire tracking system include:
- Andorra
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- France
- Greece
- Italy
- Kenya
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Portugal
- Rwanda
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Turkey
With this system, Google aims to help communities worldwide adapt to the impacts and dangers of climate change using AI. Hopefully, this will be an important step in preventing wildfire disasters like those that have occurred in Turkey in the past.
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