Seeing Through the Smoke: Satellite-Enabled Bushfire Intelligence During the 2026 Victorian Fires
Tracks
Gold Coast Ballroom
| Monday, July 27, 2026 |
| 11:10 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Gold Coast Room |
Overview
Tristan Dowler, Iceye
Details
Three Key Learnings
1. SAR overcomes smoke/night limits: Persistent Synthetic Aperture Radar delivers day-and-night, all-weather monitoring when optical imagery and aircraft are unavailable, keeping eyes on fast-moving fire fronts.
2. Actionable, building-level intelligence at scale: Near-real-time SAR enabled detailed impact mapping (e.g., Longwood: 148 SAR acquisitions, 22 building-level analyses identifying >500 destroyed/severely damaged structures and ~4,700 buildings exposed), supporting prioritisation, damage assessment and early recovery.
3. Operational integration multiplies value: Embedding persistent SAR monitoring into emergency management workflows reduces uncertainty, speeds decisions and resource allocation, and strengthens community resilience during complex fire seasons.
Speaker
Mr Tristan Dowler
Strategic Account Manager - ANZ
Iceye
Seeing Through the Smoke: Satellite-Enabled Bushfire Intelligence During the 2026 Victorian Fires
Abstract
The 2026 Victorian bushfires presented emergency management agencies with a familiar but escalating challenge: rapidly evolving fire fronts, widespread smoke cover, limited aerial access, and urgent demand for reliable ground-truth intelligence at scale. Between early and late
January, prolonged drought, extreme heat and strong winds drove multiple large fires across forested and peri-urban areas, placing communities, infrastructure and responders under sustained pressure.
This case study examines how ICEYE’s Bushfire Insights capability enhances situational awareness during the fire season, with a particular focus on the Longwood fire north of Melbourne. Using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, ICEYE monitored bushfire activity from 7–21 January 2026, delivering consistent, day- and night-capable intelligence even when optical imagery and aerial surveillance were unavailable.
Across Victoria, ICEYE tracked 26 fires in early 2026, including 12 active fires as of 1 February.
For the Longwood fire alone - spanning approximately 132,000 hectares - ICEYE delivered 148 SAR acquisitions and 22 building-level impact analyses. These insights identified more than 500 structures destroyed or severely damaged and tracked over 4,700 additional buildings
potentially exposed to ongoing fire risk. Severely impacted locations such as Ruffy, the Harcourt–Ravenswood corridor, and the Streatham area were mapped at a level of detail that
supported operational prioritisation, damage assessment, and early recovery planning.
The presentation will explore how near-real-time building-level bushfire intelligence was generated during an active emergency, and how satellite-derived insights can complement traditional fireground intelligence. By demonstrating what becomes possible when persistent SAR monitoring is integrated into emergency management workflows, this case study highlights how agencies can improve decision-making, reduce uncertainty, and strengthen community resilience during increasingly complex fire seasons.
January, prolonged drought, extreme heat and strong winds drove multiple large fires across forested and peri-urban areas, placing communities, infrastructure and responders under sustained pressure.
This case study examines how ICEYE’s Bushfire Insights capability enhances situational awareness during the fire season, with a particular focus on the Longwood fire north of Melbourne. Using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, ICEYE monitored bushfire activity from 7–21 January 2026, delivering consistent, day- and night-capable intelligence even when optical imagery and aerial surveillance were unavailable.
Across Victoria, ICEYE tracked 26 fires in early 2026, including 12 active fires as of 1 February.
For the Longwood fire alone - spanning approximately 132,000 hectares - ICEYE delivered 148 SAR acquisitions and 22 building-level impact analyses. These insights identified more than 500 structures destroyed or severely damaged and tracked over 4,700 additional buildings
potentially exposed to ongoing fire risk. Severely impacted locations such as Ruffy, the Harcourt–Ravenswood corridor, and the Streatham area were mapped at a level of detail that
supported operational prioritisation, damage assessment, and early recovery planning.
The presentation will explore how near-real-time building-level bushfire intelligence was generated during an active emergency, and how satellite-derived insights can complement traditional fireground intelligence. By demonstrating what becomes possible when persistent SAR monitoring is integrated into emergency management workflows, this case study highlights how agencies can improve decision-making, reduce uncertainty, and strengthen community resilience during increasingly complex fire seasons.
Biography
Tristan Dowler is a strategic leader in Earth Observation solutions with deep expertise in leveraging satellite data for risk, resilience and emergency response. As Strategic Account Manager at ICEYE, Tristan drives mission-critical partnerships across Australia and New Zealand, empowering government, utilities and civil agencies with persistent radar-based insights for disaster preparedness and response. Previously, he led commercial growth as Country Account Manager at Planet, expanding uptake of high-frequency satellite imagery to inform decision-making across agriculture, mining and environmental monitoring. Tristan champions data-driven approaches to disaster management and resilience, helping organisations turn complex satellite data into actionable outcomes.
