New Lightning Sensors Could Detect Tahoe Wildfires in Seconds. Here’s How They Work

A real-time lightning detection system developed by UF Innovate | Accelerate resident client FNN is helping California officials better prepare for wildfires, offering earlier alerts to reduce disaster risk.

When thunderstorms rolled across the Sierra Nevada in late July, officials warned that lightning could ignite wildfires in forested areas loaded with dry vegetation.

Thousands of lightning bolts struck the Sierra Nevada and sparked dozens of small fires, but officials generally can’t determine which strikes ignite wildfires unless people or webcams report smoke. A new network of sensors installed across the Tahoe basin could change that, letting firefighters deploy more rapidly.

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