## 1 Introduction
### Remote Sensing Systems for Wildfire Emergency Management
The fixed orbit of satellite platforms applies a restraint in revisiting capability both in tactical operations during the crisis that require frequent and repetitive observations, and in surveillance of vulnerable areas under high-risk conditions. _Aircraft_ (manned or unmanned) are manoeuvrable and may very quickly revisit the critical areas providing rapid response for emergency situations. Airborne TIR sensors (usually cameras) can detect new hot spots that develop rapidly into wildland fires. Besides aircrafts equipped with TIR sensors can be used for supporting fire-fighters in safety tasks, and for detecting escape routes or security zones, in areas where the human visibility is restricted due to the smoke. In the 1980s the first research and development activities on infrared fire imaging from aircraft started at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). These activities included the use of forward looking infrared (FLIR) systems [6], and development of the so-called FIRE MOUSE TRAP imaging system (Flying Infrared Enhanced Maneuverable Operational User Simple Electronic Tactical Reconnaissance And Patrol, see e.g. [7]). Subsequently, the Forest Service and NASA-JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) jointly developed the FIREFLY thermal fire imaging system, which was the basis for the subsequent PHOENIX onboard a Cessna Citation Bravo jet and a King Air 200 turboprop. During the operation of these airborne cameras the pressing need was realised for an integrated system that would transmit temperature information to the ground in real time. To meet this need, NASA-Ames Research Center first developed the Airborne Infrared Disaster Assessment System (AIRDAS), which filled a critical gap in remote sensing fire research supporting the fire combating operations. The following years AIRDAS was further developed to include improved telemetry, rapid geo-referencing algorithms, and multiple spectral band data collection and transmission. These led to the unmanned aerial vehicle fire response _(_UAV FiRE_) project in 2001 [8]. Other systems used in different countries incorporating thermal infrared technology to assist forest fires fighting include surveillance and co-ordination airplane ACO (DGCN Direccion General de Conservacion de la Naturaleza belonging to the Ministry of Environment of Spain), Daedalus System (Daedalus Enterprises), Wildfire Airborne Sensor Programme WASP (Rochester Technology Institute) and Airborne Wildfire Intelligence System AWIS (Range and Bearing Environmental Resource Mapping Corporation). A review of airborne infrared systems is conducted by [PERSON] [3]. This brief review proves that in the last decade there have been advancements in technologies supporting wild land fire management and tactical emergency response [8; 9; 10]. These advancements include: a) improved capability for remote sensing towers, aircrafts and satellites; b) Geographic Information Systems and Decision Support Systems [11]; c) image processing and image geo-referencing; d) Global Positioning System (GPS) in combination with Inertial Navigation Systems (INS); and e) fire behaviour models [12; 13]. In addition, uncooled forward-looking infrared scanners and cameras provide an opportunity for lower cost fire detection and monitoring systems. The present paper introduces SITHON, a complete system tailored to the unique requirements of the wildland fire fighting community. Section 2 presents the system in detail, whilst Section 3 demonstrates the results of a test flight. In Section 4 the main conclusions are drawn.