How San Bernardino County Fire is Leveraging UAS and Nova to Map Every Wildland Incident
The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (BDC) has committed to mapping every one of its wildland fire incidents. As part of a broader initiative to increase data availability around wildland incidents in the largest county in California, BDC has chosen Nova as the platform to help assess, suppress and monitor their fires.
BDC’s robotics program, led by Engineer Jeff Alexy, was officially founded last year, with a mandate of being a leader in the use of robotics for sub-terrestrial, terrestrial, aquatic and aerial use cases. The program has already made an impact, leveraging live streaming and data processing to increase the value their UAS are providing during incidents.
Why BDC Chose Nova for Wildfire Mapping
For fire incidents, Jeff and the team were looking for a product that would quickly and easily map the incident, and provide a place to assess active hotspots and create fire perimeters. Another key feature they were looking for was a way to share the data with firefighters and internal teams. With Nova’s PDF Map Export, quick KML download and now direct integration into Intterra (BDC’s internal CAD), BDC can not only process, but efficiently get data from their UAS into an actionable deliverable.
Why Mapping Matters
Creating that integration with Intterra has been a force multiplier for BDC. Jeff has mentioned that “pushing” (fire) data to Intterra is invaluable not only to our chiefs, allowing them to see acreage and location of previous burns for fuels modelling, but also for budget reimbursement when they submit for grant funding.” Many fire departments receive grant funding for their agency or district based on the total acreage burned. A few years ago, BDC was trying to get grant funding for areas burned but came up against road blocks when they had to prove how much.
“If it isn’t mapped, it didn’t happen.”
BDC’s Commitment to Complete Coverage
From half-acre ditch fires on the side of the freeway to large-scale multi-hundred acre incidents, BDC is mapping the county, flight by flight. With over 80 fires scanned in the first half year of their robotics program, they’re proving that real-time data isn’t just a tool—it’s the future of wildfire management. By systematically mapping every incident, BDC is not only enhancing operational awareness but also laying the groundwork for data-driven decision-making that will shape wildfire response for years to come.
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