Wildland fire response in Alaska brings a unique set of challenges - vast landscapes, rugged terrain, and rapidly changing fire conditions make it difficult for crews to get the intel they need to fight fires safely and effectively. 

On top of that, Alaska’s wildland firefighting community is relatively small compared to the state’s sheer size, making rapid prioritization of fire threats critical. A single lightning storm in Alaska can trigger thousands of strikes in a single day, often igniting multiple wildfires across vast and inaccessible areas. When resources are stretched thin, tools like UAS become essential for assessing impact zones quickly and helping crews focus their efforts. Depending on how far north the fire is burning, there can be 18-24 hours of daylight across fire season creating longer active burn periods, faster post-moisture drying, and deeper duff ignitions that can smolder well beneath the surface.

“Nova significantly improved our ability to provide actionable data in the field.”
— Gary Baumgartner, Global UAS Solutions

This past wildland fire season, Global UAS Solutions and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) came together to tackle those challenges head-on. By using our UAS mapping platform, they delivered real-time data and critical insights that helped guide firefighting efforts on the Gold King Creek Fire — a remote incident located 46 miles south of Fairbanks.

This is the story of how they did it — and what it means for the future of UAS mapping in wildland fire response.

The Challenge: Fighting Wildland Fires in Remote Alaska

Wildland fires in Alaska demand a different approach. Many fires burn in hard-to-reach areas where traditional monitoring methods — like manned aircraft or ground patrols — struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving fire conditions. With limited personnel and aircraft hours, flight fatigue becomes another critical concern during extended burn windows especially where there can be 24 hours of daylight such as north of the Arctic Circle. 

For Alaska DNR and Global UAS Solutions, the mission was clear: improve fire mapping capabilities to provide accurate, real-time information to Incident Commanders and firefighting crews on the ground.

They needed to track the fire’s growth, identify hotspots, and allocate resources efficiently — from active fire response through containment and mop-up.

The Solution: Real-Time UAS Mapping with Our Platform

To meet the challenge, the teams deployed UAS equipped with advanced thermal imaging to automate hotspot detection — powered by our platform to turn that data into actionable fire maps.

This combination gave them a powerful toolset for:

• Mapping fire perimeters in real-time

• Detecting and monitoring hotspots

• Delivering accurate mapping products directly to firefighting crews

• Enhancing situational awareness across all phases of the wildfire response

With our platform, they were able to produce the kinds of mapping products that were previously difficult - or even impossible - to generate in the field.

The Implementation: Mapping the Gold King Creek Fire

During the Gold King Creek Fire, Global UAS Solutions and Alaska DNR worked side by side to collect thermal imagery and mapping data over the active fire.

Their UAS teams conducted multiple flights, capturing real-time data that was shared directly with Incident Commanders Matt Nunnelly and Josh Chiles.

That data supported critical firefighting operations, including:

• Identifying actively burning areas

• Locating hotspots near at-risk cabins

• Guiding helicopter bucket drops on priority targets

• Supporting containment and mop-up operations to ensure the fire was fully extinguished

The Result: Faster, Smarter Wildland Fire Response

By combining advanced UAS technology with our wildfire mapping platform, Global UAS Solutions and Alaska DNR were able to improve their response at every phase of the Gold King Creek Fire.

“Nova significantly improved our ability to provide actionable data in the field. We were able to deliver products that we hadn’t been able to produce previously — and that made a real difference in how we responded to the fire.”
 — Gary Baumgartner, Global UAS Solutions

For wildland fire response teams working in remote environments, real-time data can make all the difference where flight windows are long, manpower is limited, and the stakes are high. This collaboration shows how UAS mapping is transforming how agencies monitor, manage, and fight wildfires – proving that a fast, field-ready solution isn’t just helpful, it’s essential.

Gold King Fire, Hotspot and Hot Area Map produced by Alaska DNR and GUS 

Looking Ahead

We’re proud to support teams at Alaska DNR and private contractors like Global UAS Solutions as they push the boundaries of what’s possible in wildland fire response.

As we write this in May, Global UAS Solutions (GUS) is conducting two weeks of UAS training for Alaska DNR wildland firefighters and natural resource specialists. The training will culminate with a field exercise where UAS teams will collect image data and develop geospatial products which will include heat maps generated in Nova. GUS will remain in Alaska for the fire season and work with Alaska DNR to train UAS teams and conduct fire/natural resource data collection missions on wildland fires and various natural resource projects. GUS will continue to collaborate with Nova to ensure the latest available technology is utilized to efficiently share time sensitive information with the wildland fire operations community.

As wildfire seasons grow longer and more complex, we’ll continue building tools that help crews get the critical information they need — faster, safer, and smarter.