Smokey the Bear admonished that only you can prevent forest fires, but what if Smokey had some high-tech backup?

A team of scientists at Michigan State University has developed a remote forest fire detector and alarm system powered by nothing but the movement of the trees in the wind.

As detailed in their new study published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, the battery-free device generates electrical power by harvesting energy from the sporadic movement of the tree branches from which it hangs.

Believed to be the first of its kind, the device, which is the size of a soup can and costs just $20 to produce would likely be much cheaper than manned patrols searching from fire watch towers, and more reliable than satellite monitoring which may be hindered by weather or fire smoke.

"The self-powered sensing system could continuously monitor the fire and environmental conditions without requiring maintenance after deployment," said lead author Changyong Cao, a mechanical engineer who directs the Laboratory of Soft Machines and Electronics at MSU.

For Cao and his team, the tragic forest fires in recent years across the American West, Brazil, and Australia were driving forces behind this new technology. Cao believes that early and quick response to forest fires will make the task of extinguishing them easier, significantly reducing the damage and loss of property and life.