Scanning device helps detect major fires

From 10,000 feet up, scanning microwave radiometers (powerful electronic “cameras”) penetrated clouds of smoke from the recent Topanga Canyon fire near Los Angeles. The fire was scanned at night; its path was mapped, and spots of the worst intensity noted. Space-General Corp., developers of the device, predict that the experiment may lead to revolutionary fire detection techniques. Patent applications are being processed on the system which would combine an air-borne scanning microwave radiometer with ground control television displays.