LinkedIn·Saturday, 22 August 2026·4d ago

From different data sources to one operational picture During a wildfire, information comes from many different sources. The challenge is…

Gemsotec

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From different data sources to one operational picture During a wildfire, information comes from many different sources. The challenge is not only to have the data, it is to integrate it and make it directly usable by first responders. This was one of the objectives of the European Space Agency - ESA SmartConnect project. Different layers of information including Copernicus EFFIS Earth Observation data and operational information from the field were integrated into INA (Intervention App), the common situational awareness platform developed by Gemsotec BV and Nazka Mapps. The result: a synoptic, near-real-time view of the incident, combining the wider picture from space with operational and tactical information from the ground. In September 2025, this approach was developed and tested during a large wildfire exercise pilot in Belgium. INA operated as the central operational platform for INA customers (Brandweer Rand and Taxandria), and non INA customers (neighbouring zones). One operational view for all stakeholders. In August 2026, it was deployed for real. During the High Fens wildfire — the largest ever recorded in Belgium, with more than 3,000 hectares burned — first responders and firefighters used the platform to support operations in the critical north-eastern sector of the fire. From different space and ground-based data sources to one shared operational picture — directly in the hands of first responders. This is where space-enabled services can make a real difference in emergency response. (Pictures adapted from Brandweer Zone Rand)