In Montana, investing in Smart Sensors for Wildfire Intel Pays Off quickly

Agency’s early detection successes underscore value of investing in advanced imaging technology

October 15, 2025: Hood River, Oregon

Just months after integrating an Overwatch Imaging TK-8 Smart Sensor into its firefighting operations, The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is seeing direct benefits from the autonomous imaging technology.

“We’ve seen several early detections during patrols, including two confirmed lightning-caused starts that were identified from a high altitude before smoke was visible from the ground,” said David Bebich, DNRC Fixed-Wing Safety and Training Pilot. “Early detection helps us verify locations, dispatch resources sooner, and improve safety for firefighters and the public.”

In addition to delivering high-value map products for active wildfires around the state, crews have been leveraging the multispectral sensors to detect small starts, hotspots, and lightning strikes, locating them when they are still small and manageable.

These results come at a pivotal time, as the federal government has issued a new Executive Order directing agencies to modernize wildfire preparedness and accelerate the adoption of advanced technology for detection, mapping, and response. 

The order emphasizes that outdated tools and bureaucratic delays continue to hinder rapid response. It calls for a comprehensive technology roadmap to improve local and state capabilities through artificial intelligence, data sharing, and innovative imaging and modeling systems.

These priorities directly align with the real-world results being demonstrated in Montana, across the United States and around the world by agencies that have already invested in Overwatch Imaging sensors. 

“These are exactly the kinds of success stories that demonstrate how technology can extend human reach for responders in the field, giving them the intelligence they need to do their job better, safer and more efficiently,” said Greg Davis, Founder and CEO of Overwatch Imaging. “The DNRC’s investment in innovation is a model for how federal, state, and local agencies can work proactively to meet the increasingly urgent call for smarter, more effective wildfire response.”

TK-8 Smart Sensor in action over a 2025 wildfire. The system automatically collects imagery in five spectral bands simultaneously (EO/RGB, NIR, SWIR, MWIR and LWIR), analyzes the data with edge software and creates orthorectified maps, fire perimeters and object detections and other intelligence products, all in real-time with limited reliance on human operation.

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About Overwatch Imaging

Overwatch Imaging develops advanced airborne imaging systems and AI-enabled automation software for time-critical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Founded in 2016 and based in Hood River, Oregon, the company’s flagship product, Automated Sensor Operator (ASO) software, brings intelligent autonomy to EO/IR imaging systems, enabling real-time detection, mapping, and mission-specific outputs with reduced operator workload. Overwatch Imaging technology is deployed globally on crewed and uncrewed aircraft, supporting a wide range of defense, civil, and commercial missions.

www.overwatchimaging.com

Media contact:Adam Lapierre

Marketing Manager, Overwatch Imaging

adam@overwatchimaging.com