Google Research is working on wildfire detection and modeling:

FireSat is a constellation of satellites dedicated entirely to detecting and tracking wildfires. After it launches, it will provide global high resolution imagery that is updated every 20 minutes, enabling the detection of wildfires that are roughly the size of a classroom.

It strikes me that Apple tackles problems from the human scale (AirPods as hearing aids, crash detection, etc.), and Google tackles problems from the global scale (FireSat program, Project Loon’s internet access, flood forecasting, etc.).

(Via kottke.org)