AWS highlights AI tools for Canada's wildfire season

Amazon Web Services said its AI and cloud tools are being used in wildfire detection, response and public safety operations, highlighting applications in Canada as provinces prepare for a severe fire season.

The examples span aerial firefighting, firefighter health monitoring, emergency communications, infrastructure inspection and smoke detection. They also reflect a broader push by technology groups to bring machine learning, sensors and cloud systems into frontline emergency work as fire seasons grow longer and more destructive.

Canada is coming off one of its worst wildfire years on record. More than 8.3 million hectares burned in the country's second-worst wildfire season, 85,000 people were evacuated, and smoke spread across the country, affecting air quality from coast to coast.

Against that backdrop, AWS pointed to companies and public bodies using systems intended to improve speed, situational awareness and communications during fires.

Aerial response

Vancouver-based Voxelis.AI has developed AI and IoT technology for helicopter pilots involved in water drops and coordinated air operations. The system provides thermal information and sensor data designed to help pilots assess fire conditions and improve the accuracy of aerial firefighting missions.

These tools target one of the most demanding parts of wildfire response. Pilots often operate in fast-changing conditions, with visibility reduced by smoke and decisions made quickly across multiple aircraft working the same fire line.

Crew safety

Another use case focuses on firefighter health. Kyndryl's Firefighting Solution uses wearable sensors to monitor smoke and toxin exposure alongside vital signs, sending real-time alerts to commanders overseeing crews on the ground.

Fire agencies have faced growing scrutiny over the long-term health effects of wildfire work, particularly links between repeated smoke exposure and respiratory illness or cancer. Wearable monitoring has emerged as one way to give incident leaders more immediate information about personnel during prolonged operations.

Public alerts

Communication with residents is another issue AWS highlighted. BlackBerry AtHoc, an emergency communications platform, is used by organisations including the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency to establish and maintain crisis communications during incidents.

Clear public messaging can affect both evacuation speed and the movement of emergency crews. During large fires, authorities often need to deliver updates across multiple channels while conditions change rapidly and power or mobile coverage comes under pressure.

Prevention

AWS also cited examples focused on prevention rather than active fire suppression. San Diego Gas & Electric is using drones and AI to monitor utility equipment and surrounding vegetation in real time, aiming to spot issues before equipment failures lead to ignition.

Utilities in North America have come under intense pressure to reduce wildfire risk linked to power infrastructure, particularly in hot, dry and windy conditions. Inspection programmes that once relied heavily on manual checks are increasingly being paired with image analysis and remote monitoring tools.

Early detection

AWS also pointed to Australian business exci, which uses satellite imagery and deep machine learning to detect smoke within three minutes and notify relevant authorities. The approach is designed to identify fires early, before they grow into larger incidents that are much harder to contain.

Early detection has become a major investment area for fire agencies and technology providers, partly because suppression options narrow sharply once a wildfire becomes a megafire. Satellite monitoring, drones, fixed cameras and sensor networks are all being tested or deployed in different regions to shorten the time between ignition and response.

The use of AI in emergency management remains under examination, particularly around reliability, false positives and the challenge of integrating new systems into existing command structures. Fire services also need tools that function in remote environments, where connectivity can be limited and conditions can shift suddenly.

Still, commercial interest is clear as governments and emergency agencies look for ways to manage heavier fire loads with finite staff and equipment. For cloud providers such as AWS, wildfire response offers a visible example of how data processing, imaging and automated alerts can be applied in a public safety setting.

Meteorologists are predicting that 2026 could rank among the hottest years on record, raising concern that another destructive wildfire season may lie ahead in parts of Canada. Last year's figures - more than 8.3 million hectares burned and 85,000 evacuees - underline the scale of the challenge facing emergency authorities.