SA company Aerometrex launches 3D technology to reveal bushfire risks

For the first time property owners and decision makers could get 3D images highlighting bushfire risks, thanks to world-first technology from an Adelaide company.

Mapping technology that is being billed as a world-first powerful new tool to reduce bushfire risks will be unveiled by an Adelaide company today.

South Australian aerial mapping specialist, Aerometrex, has developed a new service that is able to determine, in three dimensions, the exact fuel load densities in any bushfire prone region.

Aerometrex Managing Director, Mark Deuter said the company is currently working with major Government firefighting agencies across the country to provide the service to their current fire management and risk assessment modelling.

Interest is also expected to come from the insurance sector and councils in bushfire-prone areas.

Mr Deuter said the 40-year-old company, that specialises in aerial mapping and photography, LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and aerial surveying, has usually been documenting the aftermath and devastation of bushfires.

The new service will allow the company to help with prevention in line with recommendations from a number of inquiries following last summer’s horror bushfire season.

“The new technology surpasses current and historic methodologies through delivering and

visualising data not possible to be collected or “seen” from conventional satellite, aerial or

drone imagery firefighting tools,” Mr Deuter said.

“It provides real-time insights and ultra-high data capture density at critical times, into fuel

loads and their location underneath tree canopies – regardless of location, terrain type,

ground cover or accessibility.”

Aerometrex image showing fuel load density around buildings with legend.

Fuel loads, and hazard reduction burns, have been a key part of the conversation about bushfires, following last year’s horrific season that culminated in the loss of three lives in South Australia.

Nearly 200 homes were destroyed and about 280,000ha of land burned in fires across the state, including at Duck Ponds at Port Lincoln, Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island, Miltalie and Keilira.

In September The Advertiser revealed hazard-reduction burns would increase dramatically as part of a plan that also included doubling the investment, from the State Government, in bushfire resilience in South Australia.

When former Federal Police commissioner Mike Keelty undertook his review into the season, hazard-reduction dominated the submissions put forward, to a ratio of one to five (22 per cent).

At the time he said although hazard reduction alone would not have stopped last years fires “hazard-reduction by all – public and private land holders alike – has to be understood and requires an investment of time and money”.

Mr Deuter said he believed Aerometrex’s system is the first to be able to standardise the capture of LIDAR for the purpose of bushfire fuel load mapping, and with intense accuracy down to just centimetres above ground in specific target areas, or, across large fire-prone

footprints.

“The breakthrough should allow emergency authorities, government, and communities, to adopt a far more science-based and pre-emptive fuel load strike position ahead of this year’s bushfire season.”