Wildfire Management Resource Center

As of late November, there have been 60,851 wildfires in the U.S., according to the National Interagency Wildfire Center. In order to detect, predict, and mitigate wildfires, it falls on wildfire authorities at the local, state, and federal levels to coordinate responses and the sharing of information.

In this IDGA report, we will explore five instances where agencies representing different levels of government have joined forces to expand wildfire-fighting capabilities. These examples vary from organizations like the National Interagency Wildfire Center, to crises like the Southern California wildfires at the beginning of the year.

IDGA’s Wildfire Technology Summit gives the firefighting community an opportunity to network and expand relationships with peers. By attending this year’s conference, taking place April 21-22 in San Diego, you’ll connect with industry leaders, wildfire agencies, academia, and representatives from utilities and power companies to collaboratively address and advance solutions for the prediction, prevention, detection, suppression, and mitigation of destructive wildfires.

For decades, planes and helicopters have been critical for managing wildland fires. These tools help transport firefighters, deliver equipment, drop fire retardants, and more. For example, during January’s wildfires in Los Angeles, Cal Fire deployed dozens of helicopters and several air tankers to transport firefighters, and drop water and fire retardants. CalFire, the state agency that oversees fire management and response, has a fleet of over 60 helicopters and planes, making it the largest fleet of aerial firefighting solutions in the world.

The next step in the evolution of aerial firefighting will come from unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, which can provide the same benefits as classic aerial aviation devices without risking human lives, and at a lower cost. While drones won’t be replacing boots on the ground firefighters in the near future, this article will explore the value they bring to the firefighting community.

IDGA’s Wildfire Technology Summit provides an outlet for federal agencies, utility companies, and fire departments to assemble and discuss cutting-edge fire mitigation solutions such as UAS. The two-day event will take place April 21-22 in San Diego, California. From advanced detection systems to resilient infrastructure, every conversation and session is designed to help you lead the charge in transforming how we tackle wildfire challenges.

In preparation for the Wildfire Technology Summit, IDGA created the latest “Wildfire Management Market Report 2024-2029” which provides the following information:

• Global trends in the wildfire management industry
• Breakdowns on wildfire management spending by country
• The latest wildfire management initiatives from utility companies
• Tools and technologies shaping wildfire prediction and mitigation
  

In this conversation with Chris Vetromile, Wildfire Mitigation Manager at Austin Energy, we discuss:

• An overview of the strategies and technologies Austin Energy has developed for wildfire prediction and management
• How Austin Energy collaborates with other wildfire management authorities
• Expectations for the Wildfire Technology Summit

In order to fight wildfires across the US, agencies are focused on three key pillars of wildfire management: prediction, prevention, and suppression. This report will analyze the wildfire prediction solutions that are being implemented across the country, including:

• Sensors
• Internet of Things
• Drones
• Wildfire modeling
• Satellites

Download the report today to read the latest innovations and use cases for each of these solutions >>> 

In this exclusive interview with Kevin Fetterman, Fire Division Chief for the Orange County Fire Authority, he shares:

• How the Orange County Fire Authority approaches evaluating new technologies to determine their readiness for implementation.
• What successful collaboration between firefighters and IT looks like.
• The key challenges in introducing new technologies to fire departments.

Interested in seeing who attended the IDGA 2025 Wildfire Technology Summit?

Take a look at the attendee snapshot, featuring the senior decision-makers from state and federal wildfire response agencies, emergency management and forestry departments, and technology procurement teams from across the U.S. who joined us in 2025, many of whom are expected to return in 2026!

Check out the Wildfire Technology Summit - 2026 Agenda, and explore:

• Expert Confirmed Speakers
• Producer & Chairman Intro
• Day 1 Sessions, Panels, & Topics
• Day 2 Sessions, Panels, & Topics
• Networking Opportunities
• Testimonials

If you want to join the Agenda, please contact Johnathon Brooks (Sponsorship Sales Manager) partner@idga.org.

Check out the Wildfire Technology Summit - 2025 Attendee Snapshot, and explore:

• Organizations onsite in 2025
• Job Titles onsite in 2025