Fire detection

1. A sensor unit comprising:

an outer shell made of a heat resistant material, the outer shell enclosing the sides of the sensor unit completely around 360 degrees and including a top closure which encloses the top of the sensor unit,

the sensor unit having a plurality of windows mounted in the sides of the outer shell and spaced circumferentially around the outer shell to provide a 360 degree view around the sensor unit,

an infrared pyroelectric fire sensor and an infrered thermopile sensor located within the outer shell, each of the viewing windows being optically coupled to the fire sensor and the thermopile sensor,

at least two different smoke detectors located in a chamber within the outer shell,

the shell having ventilation holes communicating with the chamber,

a temperature sensor mounted on or in the outer shell, and,

at least one printed circuit board located within the outer housing and coupled to the sensors and detectors and supporting a computer and a radio transmitter, and a rechargeable power source powering the printed circuit board.

2. The sensor unit according to claim 1 wherein a solar panel is secured to the exterior of the sensor unit to recharge the power source.

3. The sensor unit according to claim 1 wherein four windows are equally spaced around the shell.

4. A sensor unit according to claim 1 including an adjustable pulsing means to switch on the sensors and detectors at predetermined intervals.

5. The sensor unit according to claim 1 wherein an anemometer is secured to the unit to measure the direction and speed of wind outside the unit.

6. A sensor unit comprising:

an outer shell made of a heat resistant material, the outer shell enclosing the sides of the sensor unit completely around 360 degrees and including a top closure which encloses the top of the sensor unit,

the sensor unit having a plurality of windows mounted in the sides of the outer shell and spaced circumferentially around the outer shell to provide a 360 degree view around the sensor unit,

an infrared pyroelectric sensor located within the outer shell to detect a flame signature through wavelength transmission at approximately 4300 nanometers, each of the viewing windows being optically coupled to the infrared pyroelectric sensor,

at least two smoke detectors located in a chamber within the outer shell, which detect both smoke created from faster flaming fires and slow smoldering fires

a temperature sensor mounted on or in the out shell,

the shell having ventilation holes communicating with the chamber

a radio transmitter mounted on or within the outer shell and arranged to transmit signals actuated by one or more of the fire sensor, a smoke detector or a temperature sensor,

an anemometer mounted on the outer shell to measure wind speed and direction,

a central processing unit located within the shell and coupled to the sensors and detectors and

a rechargeable power source powering the central processing unit to produce a ground based system that incorporates multiple sensor units that form the network that can cover a specific area with a minimum radius of 1,000 feet.

7. A system to monitor and detect fires through the incorporation of multiple sensors according to claim 6 operating simultaneously comprising multiple pyroelectric sensors that recognize the CO2 signature of a flame which is specifically viewable at approximately 4300 nanometers eliminating false alarms of sunlight in the 0-4200 nanometer wavelengths and movement experienced at 4500-7000 nanometer wavelengths, the inclusion of infrared thermopiles to detect a heat source over 180 degrees Fahrenheit and the presence of smoke and suspended particles through incorporation of two smoke detectors, the sensors all operating differently to detect varying fire sources and conditions, to ensure detection of fire ignition without false alarm, the sensors being coupled in a network, designed to be exposed to conditions at the fire source to provide signals indicating the presence and location of a fire and provide continuous, real time, localised, ground-based climatic conditions surrounding the fire, to provide an understanding of current and potential fire behaviour to aid fire fighter safety and the ability to effectively co-ordinate fire fighting resources to combat the fire.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the network includes a command center that collects and processes all data collected from the multiple sensor sources and displays the status of each set of sensors contained in each sensor unit, as well as the GPS co-ordinates of the unit, power level and current wind speed and direction at the unit itself.