Climate Adaptation & Resilience

CinderGuard

Better evidence for safer fire containment.

We are developing CinderGuard to give fire teams continuous, objective information about heat along containment lines and other places where residual fire can remain hidden.

The consequential problem

A fire that appears extinguished can keep burning beneath ash, inside roots or within organic material. Confirming that a line is cold relies on repeated inspection and experienced judgment—essential work that cannot be continuous everywhere.

Our approach

We are exploring a different model: instrument the containment line itself. Ruggedized distributed temperature sensing turns long sections of fibre-optic cable into a continuous sensing element.

How it works

A clear principle.
A system to test.

From subjective confirmation toward objective, auditable evidence that supports human decisions.

01
Send
A sensing unit sends light through fibre deployed along the area being monitored.
02
Measure
Changes in the returning light reveal temperature at many points along the cable.
03
Interpret
Temperature history and analytics help identify locations that warrant attention.

Evidence
through action.

What we have investigated

Making an industrial measurement method useful in the field

Our work grows from broader wildfire-technology investigations and field experience with difficult-to-detect fire behaviour.

We are testing the whole operational system—not only whether fibre measures temperature, but deployment, ruggedness, interpretation, communications, workflow and cost.

Where this could lead

Potential, conditional on the evidence.

These are possible applications and outcomes—not demonstrated results.

Detect residual heat that warrants inspection
Prioritize limited personnel toward areas of concern
Maintain monitoring for longer periods
Create time-stamped records for containment and handover decisions

Current focus

We are advancing toward field validation, with emphasis on sensing architecture, practical cable deployment, temperature interpretation and integration with prescribed-fire and wildfire workflows.

CinderGuard

Better evidence for safer fire containment.

A fire that appears extinguished can keep burning beneath ash, inside roots or within organic material. Confirming that a line is cold relies on repeated inspection and experienced judgment—essential work that cannot be continuous everywhere.

A clear principle.A system to test.

Send

Measure

Interpret

Making an industrial measurement method useful in the field

Potential, conditional on the evidence.

We are advancing toward field validation, with emphasis on sensing architecture, practical cable deployment, temperature interpretation and integration with prescribed-fire and wildfire workflows.

A clear principle.
A system to test.