Hawaii's counties receive state-of-the-art sensor system for early warning of wildfires

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Division of Science and Technology, along with the U.S. Fire Protection Administration, recently equipped Hawaii's four largest counties with fire detection technology called the N5 Shield Sensor Program, which provides early warning of wildfires.

Each county received 20 sensors last month that collect air samples and use advanced ground-based technology, including satellite imagery, environmental data and artificial intelligence, to detect fires in their early stages.

Once a fire is detected, the N5 Shield sends emergency notifications via SMS and email to registered stakeholders. In addition, the sensors monitor smoke and air quality and issue alerts to ensure the safety of vulnerable populations.

Maui's 20 sensor systems have been divided into stationary and mobile units: 16 N5 Shield sensors have been installed on power poles in West and South Maui with permission from Hawaiian Electric Co., and four mobile sensors are stationed at strategic locations to monitor conditions in and around existing fires, such as a brush fire that is under control but not yet fully extinguished.

By mid-July, all sensors were installed and operational in all four districts.

Jeffrey Giesea, deputy chief of support services for the Maui Fire Department, explained that while the sensors are similar to smoke detectors found in homes, they are far more advanced and are installed outdoors to detect fires before they become visible to the public.

The N5 Shield sensor program can detect ignition within 5 minutes, even if the fire is only a few square meters in size.

“This will hopefully give us an early warning if a fire breaks out and our personnel can get there a little ahead of time than if we had to rely on someone calling 911,” Giesea said. “This will be especially useful for fires in areas that are not directly adjacent to residential areas.”

The sensors continuously collect data on air quality, temperature, humidity, chemical levels and more, depending on the sensor. The data is transmitted in real time to a central system for remote monitoring and analysis and processed by advanced algorithms and AI to identify patterns and anomalies for early detection of potential threats.

When the system detects an abnormal condition, it generates alerts that are sent to emergency response teams, first responders, city officials or system administrators.

Fire department leaders receive real-time alerts when sensors detect anomalies that indicate fire. The system uses machine learning to detect fires earlier and reduce false alarms.

“This technology, paired with the AlertWest fire detection camera system installed by HECO, provides the County of Maui with state-of-the-art early fire detection capabilities,” MFD Chief Brad Ventura said in a statement. “Both systems are still in their infancy, so we look forward to observing their impact on firefighting and determining how we can best increase their value in the years to come.”