An algorithm for fire and flame detection in color video is developed. The algorithm not only uses color and temporal variation information, but also checks flicker in flames using 1-D temporal wavelet transform and color variation in fire-colored moving regions using 2-D spatial wavelet transform. Methods based on only color information and ordinary motion detection may produce false alarms in real scenes where no fires are taking place. The experimental results show that false alarms can be drastically reduced by temporal and spatial wavelet analysis.
The method can be used for detection of fire in movies and video databases, as well as real-time detection of fire. It can be incorporated into a surveillance system monitoring an indoor or outdoor area of interest for early detection of fire.