The national FireWatch platform is now operational to help firefighters detect and monitor wildfires. Managed by the Ministry of the Interior, this system uses satellite imagery to quickly identify fire outbreaks and send alerts to departmental fire and rescue services. Its deployment comes after a summer marked by particularly destructive fires in France.
FireWatch combines observations from the geostationary weather satellite Meteosat Third Generation with those from the European Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites. The platform can track the progression of a fire, progressively delineate affected areas, and provide emergency services with an up-to-date view of the situation. It does not replace ground-based observations but complements cameras, patrols, and reports from the public.
A simulation of fire spread
The tool can also estimate the likely progression of flames in the hours following their detection. To create these projections, it combines topography, weather conditions, vegetation, and an artificial intelligence model developed by the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research). This information should allow emergency services to better anticipate threatened areas and adapt the deployment of ground and air resources.
FireWatch is currently deployed with approximately half of France's departmental fire and rescue services. The platform detected over 925 vegetation fires in 2025, including 185 confirmed forest fires, followed by 840 outbreaks between the beginning of 2026 and July 27th. Its development aims to strengthen the national early detection capacity, as every minute gained can limit the burned area and facilitate firefighter intervention. CNES
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