Cornea Eyes: Using Data to Fight Wildfires

Preparing for an Intensifying Wildfire Season

With fire season not yet upon us, firefighters and emergency services are utilizing this period to refine strategies for tackling the increasingly challenging task of wildfire prevention and response in the American West. Recent years have witnessed particularly severe wildfires in states such as California.

This escalation is largely attributable to rising temperatures linked to climate change, aging infrastructure prone to sparking, and abundant, highly flammable vegetation.

Cornea: A New Approach to Fire Management

Following years of demanding firefighting operations, several startups are exploring innovative solutions to enhance fire response capabilities. Among these is Cornea, a venture originating from the public sector-focused venture studio Hangar.

Hangar secured $15 million in funding last year to foster the development of new startups geared towards government applications, with Cornea being one of its initial and most promising projects.

The core concept behind Cornea involves integrating geographical, meteorological, and historical fire data into a machine learning model. This model aims to provide frontline firefighters with improved guidance regarding optimal advancement strategies and safe retreat points during active wildfires.

Cornea’s Key Products

The startup is preparing to launch two primary products this year. The first centers on enhancing situational awareness through a metric known as the “Suppression Difficulty Index” among firefighters.

These indices are essentially maps that highlight the hazards associated with firefighting in specific locations, considering factors like wind and water conditions that could accelerate fire spread and endanger responders.

The second product focuses on identifying “Potential Control Lines” – areas where firebreaks or other interventions could effectively impede fire progression. By analyzing topography, vegetation, and numerous other data points, Cornea can pinpoint locations with a higher probability of successful fire suppression.

Leveraging Expertise and Modernizing Tools

Tom Harbour, Cornea’s Chief Fire Officer, previously served as head of fire response for the U.S. Forest Service for a decade. He reflects on a past firefighting culture where decisions were often made without clear explanation, emphasizing obedience to orders.

Harbour believes Cornea’s technology is shifting this paradigm, fostering a deeper understanding of the “why” behind decisions and empowering firefighters with informed situational awareness.

Despite advancements, Harbour notes that traditional tools like paper maps and markers remain prevalent in the field due to their reliability – “you know it doesn’t break.”

However, Cornea’s products are expected to have the greatest impact within fire operations centers, where strategic resource allocation decisions are made.

Data Processing and User Experience

Josh Mendelsohn, founder and managing partner of Hangar, emphasizes that Cornea aligns perfectly with the studio’s investment strategy. The company focuses on efficiently processing large datasets and delivering analytical insights to firefighters in the simplest possible format.

Interestingly, Mendelsohn notes that “the best user experience in this market is a PDF,” highlighting the practical needs of the field.

Navigating the Challenges of Disaster Response

Building solutions for disaster response presents unique challenges compared to traditional enterprise SaaS. Cornea has undertaken a thorough customer-discovery process to identify impactful changes that require minimal disruption to existing workflows.

The seasonal nature of wildfires also necessitates an incremental approach to development and feedback collection.

Currently, the Cornea team consists of three full-time members, supplemented by consultants from Hangar. The company’s product development has been informed by existing federal research on firefighting, and plans are underway to collaborate with the Forest Service and state agencies to deploy its models to the frontlines.

Mendelsohn highlights the core challenge: “How do you take limited resources to help [firefighters] go further by using them effectively?”

Update March 8, 2021: Language was revised to clarify that the company leveraged existing federal research, but did not receive direct federal funding for that specific research.

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