Scientists with NASA’s FireSense project have been working with the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) to create low-cost thermal sensors to install on fire bulldozers, which alert firefighters when heat from a nearby fire reaches a dangerous level. The sensors also provide researchers with important data on what happens beneath the canopy during a fire.
On April 23-24, 2026 the AFC and NASA’s FireSense project hosted a stakeholder engagement event at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center in Andalusia, Alabama to gather researchers and wildland fire professionals for discussions about challenges, opportunities, and advancements in their respective fields, including sensor integration on the dozer fleet.