site.btaBulgaria-Developed Wildfire Forecasting AI Platform Expands International Coverage

The first artificial intelligence (AI) system for forecasting wildfire risk has expanded its coverage from Europe into much of Asia and is now available in Bulgarian as well, the Education and Science Ministry in Sofia said on Wednesday.

FireScope AI is a platform developed in Bulgaria by the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) at Sofia University. Its Bulgarian version now enables the country's public authorities, organizations and individuals to access wildfire risk information in their native language. FireScope already supports 43 languages, the ministry said.

FireScope AI forms part of INSAIT's efforts to develop practical AI applications for public benefit. The system supports government agencies, emergency response services, non-governmental organizations and research institutions by analyzing vast volumes of satellite and climate data to forecast the likelihood of wildfires in specific areas with a high degree of accuracy.

Just two months after the launch of its first high-resolution interactive wildfire risk map for Europe, the system now covers large parts of Asia. The expansion comes at a critical time of year, when high temperatures and prolonged dry conditions across many regions significantly increase the risk of wildfires breaking out and spreading, the press release said.

According to INSAIT, FireScope significantly outperforms the internationally used Fire Weather Index when assessing wildfire risk in Asia. The system correctly identifies locations that later experience wildfires as being at higher risk in 70% of cases, compared with 62% for the Fire Weather Index.

FireScope AI combines satellite imagery with climate data to generate continuous, high-resolution risk maps accompanied by concise, easy-to-understand explanations. The system analyses factors including vegetation density and dryness, drought trends, wind patterns, temperature, terrain and the complex interactions between them.

To make the information as useful as possible for local authorities and communities, FireScope now provides explanations and analyses in 43 languages, including Bulgarian. This means that its risk assessments are not only scientifically robust but also readily understandable for the people responsible for making day-to-day decisions on wildfire prevention and emergency response.

The expansion of the platform and the introduction of a Bulgarian-language interface mark another step towards INSAIT's goal of turning FireScope into a global platform for intelligent wildfire risk forecasting and making advanced analysis and prevention technologies accessible to institutions and communities around the world, the Education and Science Ministry added.