USA: California turns to AI to help spot wildfires
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In an example of the potential of the ALERTCalifornia AI program launched last month, a camera spotted a fire that broke out at 3 a.m. local time in the remote, scrubby Cleveland National Forest about 50 miles (80 km) east of San Diego.
With people asleep and darkness concealing the smoke, it could have spread into a raging wildfire. But AI alerted a fire captain who called in about 60 firefighters including seven engines, two bulldozers, two water tankers and two hand crews. Within 45 minutes the fire was out, Cal Fire said.
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"Its 100% applicable throughout anywhere in the world, especially now that we're experiencing a lot larger and more frequent fire regimes and with climate change," said Suzann Leininger, a Cal Fire intelligence specialist in El Cajon, just east of San Diego.
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Beyond the camera network, the platform is collecting vast amounts of additional information, including an aerial survey to quantify the vegetation that would fuel future fires and map the Earth's surface beneath the canopy, Driscoll said.
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