Real-Time Forest Fire Detection and Spread Prediction Using Transformer-Based Vision Models on Edge Computing Nodes: A Case Study of the Aegean Pine Forest Zone, Greece
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68099/asnj.2025.86Keywords:
Forest Fire Detection, Spread Prediction, Cellular AutomatonAbstract
Increasing forest fire frequency in Eastern Mediterranean Pinus brutia ecosystems demands rapid automated detection and real-time spread prediction. This paper presents EgeoFireNet, an end-to-end edge-computing system deployed on NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX nodes within a 43-camera dual-channel monitoring network in Chios, Greece. The system integrates a fine-tuned Swin Transformer detection model with a physics-informed cellular automaton spread prediction module. Optimized via TensorRT INT8, the detection model processes 22.4 FPS, achieving a 0.889 [email protected] and a 0.912 F1-score for fire and smoke. Initialized by real-time segmentation masks and sensor data, the prediction module generates 15-minute georeferenced forecasts in 4.2 seconds with a 0.76 Sorensen-Dice coefficient. EgeoFireNet reduces median end-to-end alert latency to 87 seconds a 12-to-24-fold improvement over conventional helicopter patrols while maintaining an operational false positive rate of 0.023 alerts/camera/hour.
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