Background
Australia's environment is naturally fire-prone. This inherent fire risk is exacerbated by Australia's diverse vegetation, climate variability, and periodic extreme weather conditions. Hence, effective fuel management is crucial to conduct controlled burns and mitigate the risk of uncontrolled wildfires. However, existing fuel management practices in forestry involve manual measurements and observations using specially designed "Hazard Sticks." These kiln-dried wooden sticks, of a precise weight, are placed in the field to absorb moisture. Field personnel manually weigh these sticks to predict suitable conditions for conducting controlled burns. Various sticks are installed within a coupe and the surrounding forest to assess moisture level variance. When the appropriate conditions are calculated, then the process begins to schedule the burn, and mobilize the teams to conduct the prescribed burns
PROJECT GOALSThe project aimed to address several challenges associated with manual observation methods by developing a remote monitoring system for in-field moisture levels. The primary objectives were to increase the accuracy of moisture readings and burn window predictions while reducing monitoring costs and the risk of injury to forest personnel. The automated fuel moisture sensors provide continuous, real-time data, enhancing overall efficiency and safety in fuel management practices..
