Wildfire Camera System Paying Dividends

Wildfire camera monitoring systems are the latest weapon in the battle against large-scale forest fires.  These monitoring systems are comprised of a network of high-def, near infrared cameras located in elevated areas that provide a bird’s-eye view to facilitate an early warning system for fire threats. 

Overview of Wildfire Camera Monitoring

The system, known as AlertWildfire, launched in Nevada in 2013 under the name “AlertTahoe” with just 3 cameras, and has since expanded into areas of California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.  All told, the creator of the system plans to deploy an additional 200 cameras in 2019, bringing the total number of working cameras across the participating states to 250. 

The benefits of the wildfire camera system are substantial.  Not only does it provide an early warning system to help gain control before a situation can grow into a full-blown disaster, but it also provides additional clarity on fire “behavior” such as direction and velocity.  The cameras can also be remotely controlled to obtain the best possible vantage point of the situation.  In total, these benefits provide a clear understanding of the resources needed to effectively battle the blaze. 

The first deployment of the wildfire camera system in Tahoe, NV has been credited with stopping a whopping 56 fires in the past 5 years.  Based on this success, the future calls for greater expansion, especially throughout the state of California.  In addition, the system will be incorporating elements of artificial intelligence to monitor electrical systems, and will be adding smoke detectors to the cameras. 

This is obviously an excellent approach to reducing the catastrophic impact of wildfires.  This is critical because climate change will likely lead to an increased frequency of fire activity going forward.  The wildfire camera system – or anything that can be done to help mitigate this threat – can only help from an emergency preparedness perspective.