What you need to know
- Google announced that it has started expanding its wildfire boundary alerts across 15 additional European and African countries.
- These alerts will appear through Search and Maps as Google leverages AI models and satellites to map out the size and condition of a fire.
- Google rolled these wildfire alerts across the U.S. in 2020 following a pilot run in California.
Wildfires are a dangerous and serious aspect of nature, so Google is helping users in more places get a heads-up before it’s too late.
As detailed in a Keyword post, these AI-based alerts are arriving in 15 countries across Europe and Africa. Google states users in the following countries are eligible: Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Monaco, Montenegro, Portugal, Rwanda, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye.
Rolling out “this summer,” users in the previously mentioned countries can expect to find wildfire information in Maps and Google Search.
Google sees these wildfire alerts as a way to help native and non-native (tourists) understand the situation around them. The push alerts piggyback off your device’s settings, meaning your preferred language is how they will be displayed. Moreover, those using Google Maps will find the wildfire alert boundaries laid over the terrain around you so you remain informed.
If there are fires in your path, Maps will display a red banner stating “route may be affected by Severe fire.”
The company’s AI software consumes data from multiple sources, like satellite imagery, to provide “accurate” wildfire information. Google then depends on “fire scars,” which signal whether or not authorities have gotten a fire under control. Additional AI models are to assist in determining the existence of fires for reliability.
During July’s hectic streak of occurrences, Google’s wildfire alerts helped citizens in other areas across Europe and Africa. The company adds that nearly 1.4 million users were alerted to the situation.
Users may remember when Google first rolled out these wildfire alerts in the U.S. after piloting the feature in California. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GOES satellites and data captured in the Google Earth engine were notable helpers in assisting users navigate turbulent times.
Google then brought in an air quality layer in Google Maps to further its work in wildfire information. Users were given a colorful layer over any given area alongside a bar, indicating the air’s condition.