As the climate warms and extreme weather events become more frequent, the world is entering a high-risk period for forest and grassland fires. Every year in March and April, tomb-sweeping rituals during the Qingming Festival can easily trigger wildfires, posing risks to the safe and stable operation of power lines. Power transmission lines in forested areas are frequently threatened by wildfires caused by high temperatures, drought, and human-induced fires. If a fire spreads to the lines, it can easily cause faults such as insulator flashovers and conductor breaks, resulting in regional power outages. Today, a series of advanced wildfire prevention technologies—ranging from intelligent monitoring and fire prediction to active protection to mitigate risks, and rapid emergency response to restore power—have provided transmission lines with a "safety shield."
Online Monitoring Device for Wildfire Prevention on Power Transmission Lines, which is powered by "hybrid optoelectronic temperature monitoring technology." By combining the dual advantages of infrared temperature measurement and high-definition video surveillance, it is precisely tailored to the complex operating conditions in mountainous areas, delivering comprehensive wildfire monitoring capabilities. Equipped with a high-precision industrial-grade camera that supports dual-mode imaging (day and night), and paired with intelligent lighting technology, the device clearly captures line details during the day and delivers high-definition images even in low-light conditions at night, performing reliably in complex environments such as rain, fog, and strong glare. It can automatically identify typical external damage hazards, such as tower cranes operating at excessive heights, trees encroaching on the line, and suspended foreign objects, enabling "early detection and early warning" of potential risks. Functionally, the online monitoring device for power transmission line wildfire prevention features an intelligent image analysis terminal that supports scheduled automatic shooting and remote control modes. Data is automatically stored and encrypted before being uploaded to the operations and maintenance platform. Maintenance personnel can remotely view real-time images via a computer client or mobile app, and remotely control the camera’s power, restart, and reset functions—eliminating the need for on-site tower climbing and significantly improving maintenance efficiency. The device utilizes a dual-power supply system combining solar energy and a battery, eliminating the need for an external power source. This makes it suitable for complex environments in remote mountainous areas of Sichuan where power is unavailable, ensuring stable 24/7 operation.
The wildfire prevention and emergency response system for power transmission lines operates stably and has achieved significant results, effectively addressing the core challenges of wildfire prevention and control. This technical solution can automatically identify transmission line towers, delineate transmission corridor zones based on tower locations, accurately mark potential wildfire hazards within these zones, and analyze smoke and wildfire patterns by comparing imagery from multiple time periods. It enables intelligent front-end wildfire detection with an accuracy rate of 85.6%, thereby minimizing blind spots in wildfire prevention efforts.
The system has successfully implemented early warning for wildfire risks, accurately detecting multiple small fires and temperature anomalies in forested areas, thereby providing operations and maintenance personnel with ample time to respond and effectively preventing wildfires from spreading to power transmission lines. At the same time, the reduced response time for wildfire hazards and the decreased frequency of manual patrols have significantly lowered the workload and field operation risks for frontline maintenance personnel, while preventing accidents such as line tripping and equipment damage caused by wildfires.
