Improving the efficiency of helitack crew deployment through spatial optimization

Background Improving the deployment of helitack crews is crucial for limiting the growth of newly ignited wildfires. Aims We evaluated whether an optimization model could improve deployment in areas where high-intensity fires could occur compared with the current heuristic approach. Methods The model maximized coverage of areas with high potential intensity values using a fixed number of deployment sites. Model performance was compared with historical deployment for 280 days in Quebec, Canada, from 2018 to 2022. Key results The model consistently improved spatial coverage of high-intensity areas. While historical deployment captured more fire starts than the model when restricted to the agency’s 18 primary deployment sites, expanding the pool of available potential deployment sites significantly enhanced overall performance. Under this extensive scenario, combining the model with this expanded network outperformed historical deployment across all metrics, increasing the coverage of both high-intensity zones and fire ignitions. Conclusions These findings suggest that optimization models can identify strategic locations for new deployment bases and support decision-making, particularly when resources are scarce. Implications The framework enables agencies to evaluate deployment site effectiveness and better address evolving wildfire landscapes.