Thermal Sensor

NASA Wildland Fires Program science integration manager Jennifer Fowler holds the thermal sensor device NASA co-developed with the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) to mount into their fire dozers. The LED light sits on the dashboard, wired to a thermocouple mounted in the window. When the radiant heat reaches a dangerous level, the thermocouple turns on the LED light to signal the operator. FireSense scientists have been working with the AFC to develop and install these thermal sensors onto these dozers, which they showcased during a stakeholder event on April 23-24, 2026 at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center in Andalusia, Alabama.