Wildfire Maps Now Cover New Regions in Europe and Africa
In July, wildfires raged across the Greek islands of Kos, Chios, and Crete, keeping firefighters busy through the night. Meanwhile, in Spain's Extremadura region, authorities mobilized 60 personnel to tackle one of the 18 forest fires threatening the area. Over in Cyprus, a wildfire in the Paphos region was sparked by light refracted through broken glass. Reports suggest that fire-prone areas in Europe have doubled over the past 50 years.
Thanks to AI, we can now track wildfire boundaries in detail on Search and Maps, and send location-based push notifications. This summer, we're rolling out this tool to 15 more countries in Europe and Africa:
- Andorra
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- France
- Greece
- Italy
- Kenya
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Portugal
- Rwanda
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Türkiye
We're making this info available through alerts and features that help folks stay safe near wildfires.
Accurate and Reliable Tracking
Google's AI-powered wildfire tracking model uses a bunch of data sources, including different satellite imagery sets. We check our model against our own fire scar model—shapes we figure out after a fire's been put out—based on past wildfire data. Other AI models help confirm if there's really a fire, which all together gives us more accurate wildfire boundaries than just using satellite images.
Accessible and Useful Information When People Need It
As we rolled out this new feature this summer, we mapped over 40 wildfires in southern Europe, including fires in Spain, Greece, and Cyprus last month, and others from Portugal to Kenya.
We displayed these wildfire boundaries on Search and Maps and sent out notifications to help people stay informed and safe. In the first week of July alone, over 1.4 million people saw our wildfire info after fires broke out across Europe and Africa.
Our wildfire boundary tracking is designed to be helpful for both locals and tourists who might not speak the local language. Notifications are tailored based on user settings and preferred languages, so travelers can get timely, local wildfire updates in their own language during peak tourist season.
We also overlay this info on Google Maps driving directions, so travelers can see if there are wildfires near their planned route.
This is just one way we're using AI to help communities worldwide deal with climate change and its dangers. We've launched this feature in countries hit hard by wildfires in recent summers, based on how well our model works in each place. As we keep improving our models, we hope to bring this to more countries and keep sharing vital info when people need it most.
*Wildfire tracking is already available in the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.
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Comments (25)
0/200
![RalphJackson]()
RalphJackson
April 13, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
These new wildfire maps are a lifesaver! It's great to see them covering more regions in Europe and Africa. The real-time updates are super helpful, but sometimes the app crashes. Still, it's a must-have for anyone living in wildfire-prone areas. Keep up the good work!
0
![NicholasYoung]()
NicholasYoung
April 11, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
新しい山火事マップは命の恩人だね！ヨーロッパやアフリカの新しい地域をカバーするのは素晴らしい。リアルタイムの更新がとても役立つけど、時々アプリがクラッシュするのが難点。でも、山火事が多い地域に住んでる人には必須のアプリだね。頑張ってほしい！
0
![RogerSanchez]()
RogerSanchez
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
이 새로운 산불 지도는 정말 구세주네요! 유럽과 아프리카의 새로운 지역을 커버하는 게 좋습니다. 실시간 업데이트가 매우 유용하지만, 가끔 앱이 다운되는 게 단점이에요. 그래도 산불이 자주 나는 지역에 사는 사람들에게는 필수 앱이에요. 계속 좋은 일 하세요!
0
![WilliamMiller]()
WilliamMiller
April 13, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
Esses novos mapas de incêndios florestais são um salva-vidas! É ótimo ver que estão cobrindo mais regiões na Europa e na África. As atualizações em tempo real são super úteis, mas às vezes o app trava. Ainda assim, é essencial para quem vive em áreas propensas a incêndios florestais. Continuem o bom trabalho!
0
![PaulTaylor]()
PaulTaylor
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
¡Estos nuevos mapas de incendios forestales son un salvavidas! Es genial ver que cubren más regiones en Europa y África. Las actualizaciones en tiempo real son súper útiles, pero a veces la app se bloquea. Aún así, es imprescindible para cualquiera que viva en áreas propensas a incendios forestales. ¡Sigan con el buen trabajo!
0
![JustinLewis]()
JustinLewis
April 12, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
The expansion of Wildfire Maps to new regions is a lifesaver! It's great to have real-time data, but the app can be a bit slow at times. Still, it's a must-have for anyone living in fire-prone areas. Keep up the good work!
0
In July, wildfires raged across the Greek islands of Kos, Chios, and Crete, keeping firefighters busy through the night. Meanwhile, in Spain's Extremadura region, authorities mobilized 60 personnel to tackle one of the 18 forest fires threatening the area. Over in Cyprus, a wildfire in the Paphos region was sparked by light refracted through broken glass. Reports suggest that fire-prone areas in Europe have doubled over the past 50 years.
Thanks to AI, we can now track wildfire boundaries in detail on Search and Maps, and send location-based push notifications. This summer, we're rolling out this tool to 15 more countries in Europe and Africa:
- Andorra
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- France
- Greece
- Italy
- Kenya
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Portugal
- Rwanda
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Türkiye
We're making this info available through alerts and features that help folks stay safe near wildfires.
Accurate and Reliable Tracking
Google's AI-powered wildfire tracking model uses a bunch of data sources, including different satellite imagery sets. We check our model against our own fire scar model—shapes we figure out after a fire's been put out—based on past wildfire data. Other AI models help confirm if there's really a fire, which all together gives us more accurate wildfire boundaries than just using satellite images.
Accessible and Useful Information When People Need It
As we rolled out this new feature this summer, we mapped over 40 wildfires in southern Europe, including fires in Spain, Greece, and Cyprus last month, and others from Portugal to Kenya.
Our wildfire boundary tracking is designed to be helpful for both locals and tourists who might not speak the local language. Notifications are tailored based on user settings and preferred languages, so travelers can get timely, local wildfire updates in their own language during peak tourist season.
We also overlay this info on Google Maps driving directions, so travelers can see if there are wildfires near their planned route.
*Wildfire tracking is already available in the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.
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AI chatbots are designed to keep users engaged, employing tactics that can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. Excessive agreeability or flattery, often called sycophancy, shapes how these bots
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Perplexity processed 780 million queries in May, CEO Aravind Srinivas announced at Bloomberg’s Tech Summit on Thursday. Srinivas highlighted the AI search engine’s growth, exceeding 20% month-over-mon
A closer look inside AI Mode
Google Search Evolves: Introducing AI Mode for Smarter, More Natural QueriesFor decades, Google Search has been the gateway to the internet, helping billions find answers, explore ideas, and discover the world. But search has come a long way from the days of simple "10 blue links." Over the years, w
April 13, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
These new wildfire maps are a lifesaver! It's great to see them covering more regions in Europe and Africa. The real-time updates are super helpful, but sometimes the app crashes. Still, it's a must-have for anyone living in wildfire-prone areas. Keep up the good work!
0
April 11, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
新しい山火事マップは命の恩人だね！ヨーロッパやアフリカの新しい地域をカバーするのは素晴らしい。リアルタイムの更新がとても役立つけど、時々アプリがクラッシュするのが難点。でも、山火事が多い地域に住んでる人には必須のアプリだね。頑張ってほしい！
0
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
이 새로운 산불 지도는 정말 구세주네요! 유럽과 아프리카의 새로운 지역을 커버하는 게 좋습니다. 실시간 업데이트가 매우 유용하지만, 가끔 앱이 다운되는 게 단점이에요. 그래도 산불이 자주 나는 지역에 사는 사람들에게는 필수 앱이에요. 계속 좋은 일 하세요!
0
April 13, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
Esses novos mapas de incêndios florestais são um salva-vidas! É ótimo ver que estão cobrindo mais regiões na Europa e na África. As atualizações em tempo real são super úteis, mas às vezes o app trava. Ainda assim, é essencial para quem vive em áreas propensas a incêndios florestais. Continuem o bom trabalho!
0
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
¡Estos nuevos mapas de incendios forestales son un salvavidas! Es genial ver que cubren más regiones en Europa y África. Las actualizaciones en tiempo real son súper útiles, pero a veces la app se bloquea. Aún así, es imprescindible para cualquiera que viva en áreas propensas a incendios forestales. ¡Sigan con el buen trabajo!
0
April 12, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM EDT
The expansion of Wildfire Maps to new regions is a lifesaver! It's great to have real-time data, but the app can be a bit slow at times. Still, it's a must-have for anyone living in fire-prone areas. Keep up the good work!
0
