SAPIC

Advanced Fire Prevention Service in Catalonia

Introduction

SAPIC addresses the growing challenge of devastating forest fires in Catalonia, driven by severe climate change effects like prolonged drought and rising temperatures. This project provides a cost-effective, scalable, and continuous surveillance solution. By combining satellite Earth Observation (EO) with high-resolution climate data, SAPIC generates precise fire risk maps, allowing operators to identify “hot zones”.

Objectives

The main objective of the SAPIC project is to develop a scalable and cost-efficient monitoring system to prevent forest fires in Catalonia, particularly in forested areas crossed by medium-voltage power lines. This includes:

Combining satellite EO data with high-resolution climate and terrain information to assess fire risk in near real time.
Developing an advanced fire danger indicator that uses historical fire data, environmental variables, and machine learning.
Providing an interactive online platform with dynamic fire-risk maps to help electricity operators detect and prevent threats while reducing environmental and economic impacts through smarter monitoring and maintenance.

Space-driven innovation

SAPIC achieves detail by combining Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data with the Menut nanosatellite (4.75 m resolution), essential for monitoring risk near electric lines. These datasets, along with environmental indicators feed a machine learning model trained on historical fires to predict potential fire intensity and impact. Results are displayed through a visualisation platform that allows users to explore large datasets related to fire risk.

Impact on climate resilience

SAPIC directly strengthens climate resilience by enabling data-driven management against climate change-induced threats.

• Proactive Management: It provides precise information for applying adapted preventive measures.

• Disaster Risk Reduction: The service contributes to the reduction of catastrophe risk associated with climate change.

• Cost Efficiency and Protection: By optimizing surveillance resources, it reduces the costs associated with major fires and protects natural heritage, biodiversity, and local communities.

• Infrastructure Security: It is a strategic tool for electricity operators, minimizing the risk of fires originating from their network and ensuring the security and sustainability of Catalonia’s forests.

From Lab to Market: Clients and Commercial Roadmap

SAPIC is designed for direct commercialization within the energy sector, providing a practical, ready-touse fire prevention service. The pilot project is carried out with Electra Caldense, an electricity distribution company operating 48 km of aerial medium-voltage lines in the regions of Vallès and Segrià. As a validator and end user, Electra Caldense plays a key role in testing and integrating SAPIC into real operational contexts. The target market includes small and medium-sized electricity distributors (typically serving fewer than 100,000 users) who need affordable, continuous monitoring tools to identify high-risk zones (“hot spots”) and minimize the need for visual or drone inspections.