AI Prevents 77 Wildfires!
Detecting wildfires before they spread is a significant global challenge. The University of California San Diego’s public safety program, AlertCalifornia, has collaborated with Cal Fire to address this issue by implementing AI.
The AI system is trained to recognize early signs of fire, such as smoke, using a network of over 1,050 cameras positioned in forests throughout the state. Upon detection, the system sends a text message alert to the local fire department. In the initial two months of operation, the system successfully identified 77 fires before any 911 calls were made. Falco Kuester, co-principal investigator at AlertCalifornia, emphasizes that the system’s successes lie in preventing fires from spreading and alerting the authorities even before people notice it and cause public panic.
Moving forward, the program is expected to expand and install more cameras nation-wide to combat wildfires.