Real-time incident mapping in practice: CHRIS with Brandweer Twente & Veiligheidsregio Twente

From pilot project to live field validation

Since May 2025, MEJOR Technologies has worked closely with Brandweer Twente and Veiligheidsregio Twente in a demo and pilot programme to validate CHRIS in real operational conditions. Since the start of this collaboration, CHRIS has been further developed together with both organisations to ensure it meets the practical demands of fire service teams in the field

.

The pilot culminated in a successful field test in January 2026, during which CHRIS was deployed live using the drone from Veiligheidsregio Twente. During this test, a moving fire of approximately 400 square metres was actively monitored. Within seconds, RGB and infrared imagery were available in a single central dashboard, combined with automatically generated fire polygons that provided immediate insight into the situation.

Real-time incident mapping for dynamic incidents

CHRIS provides fire service teams with critical insights during dynamic incidents and supports faster, better-informed and safer decision-making. During wildfires and other rapidly evolving situations, a real-time situational overview is essential. At the same time, traditional incident visualisation is often fragmented, quickly outdated and highly dependent on manual interpretation. CHRIS overcomes these limitations by automatically analysing drone imagery and translating it into directly applicable operational information.

Turning infrared data into operational insight

The strength of CHRIS does not lie in the use of infrared imagery alone, but in its automatic analysis. While, at least in the Netherlands, infrared imagery is already available through existing drone platforms, CHRIS translates this data directly into actionable operational information.

Based on IR imagery, fire polygons are generated automatically, and key metrics such as location, surface area, perimeter and relevant fire front information are automatically calculated instantly. This process requires no manual drawing and remains reliable under smoke layers and in conditions with limited visibility. As a result, fire service teams gain accurate and consistent insight even when visual observation is constrained.

In addition, CHRIS detects smaller hotspots caused by wind carrying small pieces of burning material to new locations. By identifying these secondary ignitions at an early stage, CHRIS helps teams anticipate further spread and intervene before the situation escalates.

Fire polygons generated by CHRIS visualising the active fire area. The RGB layer reveals a hotspot in the bottom left corner that would otherwise remain undetected.

Tracking fire development over time

CHRIS also enables teams to follow and compare the development of a fire over time. By combining imagery from different moments, it becomes clear how quickly and in which direction a fire is spreading. This temporal insight helps incident commanders recognise patterns, assess risks more effectively and identify expansion, including spotting fires, at an earlier stage.

Fire polygons generated by CHRIS showcase the fire progression from the previous time interval to the current.

Integrated situational awareness without added complexity

All insights come together in one integrated, no-button solution that connects seamlessly with existing systems and dashboards. This means teams do not need to learn an additional tool or adapt their workflows. CHRIS delivers real-time situational awareness when it truly matters and acts as a directly deployable support for operational decision-making during live incidents.

Want to see CHRIS in action?

Discover how CHRIS can strengthen situational awareness during wildfires and complex incidents. Get in touch to request a live demo or explore how CHRIS can be integrated into your existing operational setup.

CHRIS Cloud