Learn how Earth observation data can help governments scale monitoring efforts and accelerate decision-making to minimize wildfire risk.

The visualizations in this post were created by Planet’s Robert Simmon and Leanne Abraham.  On April 21, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency for the Russian River Watershed following two years of critically dry conditions in the region. The watershed is an essential zone within the northern Sonoma and […]

Every year, wildfires consume millions of acres of land around the globe. Such fires triggered by a combination of electrical networks and extreme weather include the 100,277-hectare Lutz Creek fire in British Columbia, “Black Saturday” in Victoria, Australia, and the Camp Fire in California in November 2018, which destroyed over 150,000 acres, […]

The most recent wildfires throughout western North America have re-emphasized the need for early wildfire detection and validation. Time and resources are in short supply for emergency responders, who have a short window to detect and assess wildfires to help prevent the most damage. “Time and resources are both in short supply […]

The California Forest Observatory (CFO) is a new data-driven forest monitoring system designed to dynamically map forest structure and vegetation fuel loads at the individual tree level. This wall-to-wall, statewide data will set a new standard for how we research, plan for, and respond to wildfires in the state. Powered by a […]

Today is the International Day of Forests, created by the United Nations to help raise awareness about how forests can help humans generate environmental sustainability, create food security and produce thriving economies. Forests are also known for their carbon-capturing abilities and are one of our best defenses against the threat of climate […]

As natural disasters continue to leave their mark on communities and environments, satellite imagery is proving useful to journalists as they inform the public about these important events. Here are some examples of how satellite data can be utilized to help monitor environmental catastrophes. Kincade Fire Over a thousand firefighters are currently […]

Planet, Salo Sciences, and Vibrant Planet are announcing a partnership to develop the California Forest Observatory (CFO)—a new platform that will dynamically map forest structure and fuel loads down to the tree level, statewide. Combining satellite imagery and artificial intelligence (AI), along with weather, climate, population, and infrastructure data, and supported through […]

A state of emergency for Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Butte and Yuba counties has been declared as more than a dozen wildfires rage across Northern California. In response, we are making our satellite data available to everyone that needs it.  High resolution SkySat imagery shows wildfires sweeping through the hills northeast of […]