How quantum computers could help fight wildfires

A firefighter battling the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles on Jan 11, 2025. Wildfires are devastating, but with the right focus and tools, we can fight back – with precision, strategy, and quantum math on our side. — AP

Fighting wildfires is a massive logistical challenge – a high-stakes puzzle where every move counts. At their core, wildfires are optimization problems: How do you allocate limited resources like water, personnel, and aircraft to have the greatest impact? Which areas must be protected first, and how do you predict and stay ahead of a fire’s unpredictable behaviour?

Add in dynamic factors like shifting weather patterns and road traffic, and the complexity becomes even more staggering.

Following the tragic Los Angeles fires of 2025, many of us find ourselves asking, “How can we prevent this from happening in the future?”

The answer, perhaps, lies in quantum logic: this is exactly the kind of problem that quantum logic was built to solve.

Classical computers can crunch numbers, but they’re limited – they analyse a subset of possibilities and find a “good enough” solution. Quantum computers, however, can evaluate all possibilities simultaneously, calculating optimal strategies in fractions of a second.

What could quantum do for firefighting?

Who would you rather have allocating resources during the most critical times, an overtaxed fire chief on the ground, or one that is assisted by an all-seeing quantum computer factoring in every variable, including burning ember trajectory and water resource allocation?

Quantum computing thrives in scenarios with complex, dynamic variables. For wildfire management, its potential is game-changing:

• Fire Spread Prediction: Simulate fire behaviour in real time, using live data like wind changes, humidity, and terrain.

• Resource Allocation: Optimise the placement of water, crews, and aircraft/drone for maximum impact.

• Critical Prioritisation: Identify choke points or high-risk zones where intervention is most needed.

• Scenario Testing: Instantly model “what-if” scenarios to evaluate the outcomes of different strategies.

This precision could save lives, homes, and communities.

But are quantum computers ready?

There has been a lot of talk about the potential of quantum computers, and when they will actually be ready. While the computers themselves could still be a decade or more away, the good news is that solving large-scale optimisation problems is possible today.

What makes this exciting is that quantum algorithms don’t require fully developed quantum computers – they can run on today’s most sophisticated classical systems, delivering quantum-inspired solutions now. Players in the space such as D-Wave, Microsoft Azure, and Entanglement (full disclosure: I’m an investor in Entanglement) have already made major headway in this field, each bringing their own approaches to tackle optimisation challenges.

Their tools, like QUBOs (quadratic unconstrained binary optimization) and other combinatorial optimization solvers can analyze massive data sets and evaluate all possibilities simultaneously, finding the best answer in real time.

Fighting fire (and insurance companies) with quantum logic

Insurance companies are already using math to predict the odds of losing homes, often leaving homeowners and governments scrambling to react.

What if we could flip the script? Leveraging quantum math to improve the odds for homeowners? We can make higher-risk areas safer and re-insurable, helping to rebuild communities and ensure their sustainability for their long-term.

Early progress has been made in the field of fire prevention. The US Army, according to a report in May, used quantum computing to plan fuel breaks – a brush management technique that stops wildfires from spreading.

Wildfires are devastating, but with the right focus and tools, we can fight back – with precision, strategy, and quantum math on our side. – Inc./Tribune News Service