A landscape-scale fire intelligence and forest management program across four protected areas and one territorial division of the Southern Western Ghats — among the most fire-exposed and ecologically significant terrain in peninsular India.

The program combines predictive fire risk modelling with operational response. Fuel load is mapped from LiDAR and multispectral survey; ignition risk is modelled against terrain, aspect, fuel moisture, wind and historical incidence; and thermal satellite feeds drive early detection. Forest department staff and community fire watchers receive risk maps ahead of each season and alerts during it.

Alongside detection, the improved forest management component addresses the underlying condition: strategic fuel reduction, invasive stand management, shola-grassland boundary restoration, and regeneration support in repeatedly burnt compartments. The aim is a landscape where fire returns to its natural role rather than arriving as an annual emergency.