What Is Calibration and How Long Does It Take?

When deploying wildfire Sensors, calibration is one of the most important steps to ensure accurate, reliable performance. But what does calibration actually mean, and how long should you expect the process to take?

What Is Calibration?

Calibration is the process of aligning a device’s sensors and internal measurements with a known, trusted standard. In practical terms, it ensures that the values your devices report, such as temperature, gas levels, or signal strength, match real-world conditions as closely as possible.

Without proper calibration, devices might misinterpret environmental signals, leading to false alerts or delayed detection. With calibration, the system learns the baseline “normal” conditions of your specific site, so it can accurately detect meaningful changes that indicate risk.

Why Calibration Matters

• Accuracy: Ensures data collected by sensors reflects actual environmental conditions.

• Reliability: Reduces the risk of false alarms or missed alerts.

• Consistency: Aligns all devices in a network to the same standards, so they work together seamlessly.

• Trust: Gives operators confidence that system decisions and alerts are based on correct information.

How long does Calibration Take?

Each sensor requires a 14-day calibration period to adapt to its environment. During this time, the sensor collects baseline data to accurately distinguish between normal forest conditions and real fire events. The Wildfire Sensors adjust their internal baselines for temperature, humidity, and gas detection.

During this time, the sensor is adapting to its environment and may not provide reliable data.

It's also possible for the sensor to send false fire alerts.

Once this initial "settling in" period is over, the Wildfire Sensor is calibrated and ready for effective wildfire detection.

Sensors Deployment Stages

1. Charging Stage – Grey Icon

   • When a Wildfire Sensor is first deployed and begins charging, the status icon appears Grey.

2. Calibration Stage – Orange Icon

   • Once the sensor has sufficent energy to connect, the icon changes to Orange, signaling that the sensor has entered its initial 14-day calibration phase. During this time, the sensor is actively adjusting to its environment.

3. Fully Operational – Green Icon

   • After calibration is complete, the status icon turns Green, signaling that the sensor is fully operational.