Australia Blends AI and Ancient Wisdom to Combat Wildfires

As wildfires ravage much of southern Europe, Australia is offering the world a powerful lesson in disaster preparedness. Researchers at the Bushfire Research Centre of Excellence in Canberra have developed an innovative system that combines cutting-edge satellite imagery with the deep ecological knowledge of Australia's Indigenous communities.

Professor Marta Yebra, originally from Spain, leads the project. Her team uses satellites to measure the "fuel moisture content" of landscapes — detecting where dry leaves, grass, and bark could ignite dangerous fires. However, she recognized that raw satellite data alone could not tell the full story on the ground.

That is where Adrian Webster, an Indigenous land expert from New South Wales, plays a crucial role. Webster grew up learning to "read the country" — observing a plant's color, scent, and the shade of trees — skills passed down from his elders over generations. His on-the-ground assessments showed remarkable agreement with Yebra's satellite data, validating both approaches.

The collaboration was born from Australia's devastating Black Summer fires of 2019–20, which burned an area roughly the size of the United Kingdom and killed an estimated three billion animals. That catastrophe prompted the government to establish the Bushfire Research Centre and invest heavily in prevention science.

Experts believe this dual approach — merging modern technology with Indigenous stewardship — could serve as a global model for wildfire management. As climate change intensifies fire seasons worldwide, Australia's experience may prove invaluable for countries from Spain to California struggling to protect their landscapes.