The team has been awarded the Best Article Award for its study on low-cost sensors for early detection of forest fires.
September 2025. — The research team of the SenForFire Interreg Sudoe project has been awarded the Best Paper Award at the Experiment@ International Conference 2025 (EXPA’25) for their study “On the applicability of low-cost air quality sensors for early-stage forest fire detection.” The work proposes a pioneering system for early forest fire detection using low-cost air quality sensors, with the aim of reducing response times and mitigating the impact of fires on ecosystems.
The research, developed within the framework of the project, evaluates the use of low-cost sensors capable of identifying gaseous chemical compounds characteristic of the early stages of fire. To this end, the team has conducted pilot tests in different areas, ranging from small-scale experimental burns to larger prescribed burns, achieving promising results in terms of early detection and device reliability.
The award was presented during the special session “Innovation in Forest Fire Risk Management (IFFRM’25),” held from September 2 to 4 on Faial Island (Azores) as part of the EXPAT’25 conference. This international forum brought together specialists in experimental sciences, intelligent systems, and artificial intelligence, who discussed the latest technological innovations applied to forest fire risk prevention and management, a key challenge in the current context of climate change.
“Receiving this award is a great boost to continue advancing innovative solutions that allow us to anticipate fires and protect our forests,” emphasized the authors of the award-winning work.
With this recognition, the team reinforces its commitment to the development of new technological tools that support forest managers and emergency services in early detection, prevention, and rapid response to fires.
SenForFire: European Innovation
Funded by the Interreg Sudoe 2021-2027 program, SenForFire brings together a multidisciplinary team to design technological solutions that allow for more effective prevention and detection of forest fires. Its partners include research centers (ITEFI, INIA-ICIFOR, IMB-CNM of the CSIC, CIRIMAT and LAAS of the CNRS), international universities (Extremadura, Évora, Coimbra, and Toulouse), meteorological and detection agencies (AEMET and AR+I), and companies specializing in environmental monitoring (Ray Ingeniería Electrónica and Arantec).
It also has the support of public administrations at various levels, from MITECO to the Regional Government of Extremadura, the Regional Government of Castilla y León, the Provincial Council of Ávila, and local entities such as the Municipality of Fundão and the Intermunicipal Community of Alto Minho. This collaborative approach seeks to protect ecosystems and reduce the impact of fires in the Sudoe area, which covers Spain (excluding the Canary Islands), mainland Portugal, southern France, and Andorra.
Contact
SenForFire Project Coordinator: Esther Hontañón Lavín | [email protected] | Institute of Physical and Information Technologies (ITEFI). Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Madrid.
SenForFire Communications Coordinator: Macarena Parejo | [email protected] | Image and Communication Office. University of Extremadura (UNEX). Badajoz.