SPOT satellites monitor forest fire damage in Canary Islands
Initial assessment by Infoterra France and Spot Image
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Following the forest fires that have been raging across the Canary Islands since 27 July, Infoterra and Spot Image have produced an assessment of the affected areas using imagery acquired by SPOT satellites. The images were acquired by the SPOT 2 and SPOT 5 satellites (operated by Spot Image) and the assessment made by Infoterra France crisis management services.
The work conducted by Infoterra and Spot Image is helping the authorities to make more accurate estimates of the extent of the blazes. Fire damage maps derived from satellite imagery are particularly well suited to remote areas like those affected by the forest fires in the Canaries. This kind of imagery provides a rapid, complete and objective picture of burnt-out areas and is a precious aid for civil defence and firefighting teams on the ground.
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Estimate of the extent of fire damage on the island of Gran Canaria between 27 July 2007 and 2 August 2007. Estimate made using two SPOT 2 images, processed with the OVERLAND software application developed by Infoterra France.
Our initial assessment gives a maximum area of 15,000 hectares.
A more accurate figure will be available once further validation using the landcover map is complete.
This product was developed by the teams at Infoterra France.
The satellite imagery was acquired and pre-processed by Spot Image.
SPOT imagery acquired on 2 August 2007
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The image below was acquired by SPOT 5 on 31 July. It shows the extent of the damage on Tenerife before the blazes were brought under control.
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The first results (still undergoing validation) show that the fires swept through an area of approx. 15,000 hectares.
A more accurate figure will be available once the exact nature of the damage has been ascertained (the figure of 15,000 hectares refers to the maximum extent of the fires).
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New services under GMES programme
Infoterra and Spot Image have developed these risk management and crisis response services under the umbrella of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme (GMES) initiated by the European Space Agency and the European Commission with major funding from industry.
The PREVIEW and BOSS4GMES research projects (co-funded by the European Commission) and the RISK-EOS project (funded by ESA) have provided the framework for developing the methods, conducting R&D and validating results with the main users, primarily civil protection teams. These projects draw on the combined expertise of networks of industrial partners and research laboratories.
France has played a founding role in risk management with the Terre et Espace network set up by CNES and the French Ministry of Research.
This new joint operation by Infoterra and Spot Image is designed to confirm operational capabilities ahead of the scheduled introduction of GMES services in 2008.
The rapid response to the forest fires in the Canaries shows that the solutions developed are now ready for operational deployment. It also demonstrates the highly integrated nature of the GMES programme through the combined use of two basic GMES services: emergency response and updated landcover maps.
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About Infoterra France
Infoterra France, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium, specializes in the production of cartographic data and the development of applications and services using Earth observation imagery. With offices in Toulouse and Sophia Antipolis, the company delivers services to users in numerous sectors, from local government and authorities to defence, security, telecommunications, agriculture and the environment.
In risk management and crisis response, Infoterra France is developing mapping solutions and coordinating the RISK-EOS, BOSS4GMES and PREVIEW projects in support of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme (GMES) for the European Commission and European Space Agency.
About Spot Image
Spot Image is a leading supplier of geospatial information products and services. The commercial operator of the SPOT satellites, Spot Image has established numerous partnerships to offer a broad portfolio including imagery from other optical and radar satellites, at resolutions of 1 metre to 1 kilometre. Over two decades, it has successfully harnessed a range of space- and ground-based systems to meet customers’ needs.
Headquartered in Toulouse, France, with subsidiaries and offices in Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Singapore and the United States, the Spot Image group uses a global network of ground receiving stations, partners and distributors to bring geographic information to public- and private-sector decision-makers worldwide.
Note: The images and illustrations used in this document are available on request as large-format print-quality files. Contact Gil Denis on +33 (0)6 72 03 33 27 or at gil.denis@infoterra.fr.
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Contacts
Infoterra France:
Gil Denis: +33 (0)6 72 03 33 27 — Gil.Denis@infoterra.fr
Nathalie Pisot: +33 (0)4 97 23 23 46 — Nathalie.Pisot@infoterra-global.com
Spot Image:
Anne-Marie Bernard: +33 (0)5 62 19 40 10 – Anne-Marie.Bernard@spotimage.fr
Isabelle Guidolin: +33 (0)5 62 19 40 89 — Isabelle.Guidolin@spotimage.fr
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