California Using AI to Get Ahead of Wildfires

California fire officials are using artificial intelligence to get ahead of wildfires and help firefighters identify signs of fires before they rage out of control.

As Carl Smith explains in Governing, “The cameras, trained using artificial intelligence to recognize anomalies that could be signs of wildfire, make up part of an interlinked technology network that is redefining the scope of fire prediction, prevention and response.”

Technology can help officials understand conditions that pose fire risk, identify hazardous spots early, and track fire movement. “California is at the leading edge of implementing and integrating these tools, and officials are eager to share what they’re learning.”

As Smith explains, “It’s too much to ask humans to pay close attention to feeds from a thousand cameras at every hour of every day. If AI could learn what kinds of anomalies in a landscape might signify fire, the network could alert staff at command centers, where experienced firefighters could interpret what it had flagged.”

CAL FIRE’s innovative use of AI could serve as a model for other states. However, “No one thinks AI or other technology alone will provide a complete solution for California’s wildfire problem. Cameras are still being trained. They can spot something that might be a fire, but it takes an experienced firefighter to evaluate what they have flagged. Sightings by firefighters and volunteers in the field and in observation towers, as well as 911 calls from citizens and pilots, remain essential.”