Many people were displaced by the devastating wildfires this year, and as California continues to deal with drought, it's possible that there will be more next year.
With the chaos brought on by the fires, many people who've had to leave their homes for extended periods of time before returning. This uncertainty can create stress and anxiety in people already struggling.
But new technology may be able to help those hoping to return to their homes after a fire cut down on the time it takes to find out when it's safe.
Damage Map is a computer program that uses artificial intelligence to better determine if structures have burned during a fire.
"Information can be brought out to wildfire victims, emergency response managers, firefighters, etc., quickly," said ecologist and professor at Cal Poly, Andrew Fricker. "Much quicker than currently is the case."
Fricker developed the program, which uses aerial and satellite images to monitor the state of structures in fires.
"It's not terribly difficult to determine if a building has been destroyed or not," he said. "If you look at these pictures you can tell with your own eyes if it's been destroyed."
This program can help people learn the status of their homes within a matter of hours. "It's to the point where it works and we know that it works, but we don’t want it to wither on the vine, we want it to be out there and useful for people and to do that it needs a little more development, it needs further testing," said Fricker.
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