Fire monitoring and prevention thanks to INWIT towers with AI
Smart cameras and gateways on telecommunications towers to protect the environment, territory and biodiversity.
With the intense heat of recent summers, fires are once again threatening our country and putting the environment and biodiversity at risk, but thanks to the technology implemented, prevention seems to be becoming increasingly effective. INWIT, Italian leader in the telecommunications infrastructure sector, has adopted innovative solutions to combat this danger, integrating IoT sensors, smart cameras with artificial intelligence and gateways onto its telecommunications towers, capable of supporting the precious work of the police forces of the Fire Brigade and Civil Protection. By equipping digital and shared infrastructures with these technological solutions, it is possible to monitor territories and help drastically reduce the possibility of fires.
Monitoring and prevention projects
In collaboration with the WWF, INWIT has installed an advanced fire detection system in the Oases of Macchiagrande (RM), Bosco di Vanzago (MI) and Calanchi di Atri (TE). Thanks to AI-equipped smart cameras and gateways, these towers can now monitor large areas, detecting potential outbreaks early. A significant example occurred at the Calanchi Oasis of Atri, where a plume of smoke was identified in time, caused by the combustion of plant residues, thus avoiding extensive damage to the ecosystem.
INWIT’s commitment does not stop here. In collaboration with Legambiente it has started a project that combines sustainability with environmental monitoring.
In the summer of 2024, the initiative was expanded to the prevention of forest fires in areas of great naturalistic value such as the Abruzzo National Park and the Monte Genzana Alto Gizio Regional Nature Reserve. Here, 5 INWIT towers have been equipped with 9 smart cameras equipped with AI, capable of monitoring up to 80 square kilometers, ensuring timely intervention in the event of an emergency.
Innovation for the protection of the territory
A further step forward was made in Piedmont, where the Smoke Automatic Detection (SAD) system was introduced for the automatic detection of fires in the mountain areas of the Upper Susa Valley. 12 cameras equipped with artificial intelligence have been installed on 5 INWIT towers, capable of identifying outbreaks in real time and preventing the destruction of thousands of hectares of forest.
“A forest weakened by flames will defend itself less effectively from other extreme climatic events such as heavy rains or floods, compromising the resistance and resilience of the entire territory and the biodiversity that lives in it. This is why it is important to actively contribute to the prevention of fires and the protection of the environment and biodiversity all year round, not only when the summer emergency arises – declared Michelangelo Suigo, Director of External Relations, Communication and Sustainability of INWIT -. Our environmental monitoring and fire prevention projects represent a concrete example of the integration of sustainability into our business. The realization of these activities confirms the value of our towers, digital and shared infrastructures, for the territory and communities and our commitment to sustainability, for environmental protection”.
With these initiatives INWIT demonstrates how digital infrastructures can become fundamental allies in the protection of the territory, contributing significantly to the fight against fires and the protection of the environment.