Homegrown Balloon Technology Used to Combat Colorado Wildfires

Unfortunately, the state of Colorado is no stranger to wildfires and the summer of 2024 has seen some serious devastation. Colorado has sought help in fighting these fires from firefighters across the state, mushroom growing operations, and even K-9 Units.

Read More: Colorado Has Three Dogs Aiding in Fighting Wildfires |

As of last month, Colorado has been utilizing a new method to track, observe, and even prevent wildfires using a rather brilliant invention made by a local company.

Colorado Company Creates Fire Prevention Balloons

Numerous remarkable inventions have come out of Colorado over the years, and one of the latest to come out of the Centennial State is already being used to track and prevent wildfires.

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The Colorado-based Urban Sky has created large balloons equipped with tiny cameras and infrared sensors that are currently being used to combat and prevent wildfires.

The balloons are inflated and launched from the back of a truck and travel anywhere between four and 31 miles above the ground.

Urban Sky has already assisted in gathering "fire intelligence" from the Alexander Fire and is planning on launching several more balloons this summer for the same purpose.

In addition to providing footage, the balloons measure the moisture levels and density of vegetation in a particular area. The information is processed in real-time, ultimately establishing a "risk score" for the area.

While the balloons were launched after the four most notable Colorado wildfires had already broken out this summer, it would seem that the new technology will serve as an incredible asset to prevent Colorado wildfires in the future.

[KRDO]