Quantum Wildfire Fighting

The Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm In Practice

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Every year, wildfires endanger lives, scorch millions of acres, and cause billions of dollars in damage, destroying thousands upon thousands of structures.

Image by the author using Stable Diffusion

Of course, fire is a natural part of many terrestrial ecosystems. However, out-of-control wildland fires in populated landscapes can cause loss of life and damage private property and community assets.

Unfortunately, the extent and severity of wildfires are increasing. According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme, the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires worldwide could increase by a third by 2050 and by more than 50% by the turn of the century.

So, Incident Management Teams (IMTs) responsible for managing the response to wildfires are becoming increasingly important.

IMTs operate in a high-pressure environment. When they deal with large wildland fires, they must make complex, time-sensitive decisions on how best to allocate available resources to protect assets in different locations. Then, the IMT must evaluate the merits of available information, develop strategies to contain the…