As climate change leads to larger and more frequent wildfires, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using sensors, drones and machine learning to both prevent fires and reduce their damage to the electric grid. Engineers are honing technology to remotely sense electrical arcing and faulty equipment, as well as the direction of spreading fires.

The need is urgent. The largest recorded wildfire years have occurred since 2004, coinciding with many of the warmest years on record, according to National Interagency Fire Center data.  Electric utilities have a large stake in addressing the crisis, given that many wildfires are sparked by power lines, and wildfires can cause widespread electrical outages.

Last fire season, DOE targeted funding for a handful of wildfire projects, including two at ORNL. “We chose this research to be accelerated because we recognize how critical and hazardous wildfire has become due to climate change and other factors,” said Stewart Cedres, a senior DOE technical lead and strategist. Wildfire damage to transmission lines can cause brownouts and blackouts several states away, he noted.