By Reagan Priest | State Affairs
The Department of Forestry and Fire Management is deploying AI wildfire detection cameras in preparation for another sizzling Arizona summer.
At a press conference Friday, Gov. Katie Hobbs and agency leadership announced that seven cameras have been positioned across the state to help flag potential wildfires for state dispatchers. The cameras were funded by last year’s state budget allocation and cost about $240,000 a year to operate, according to DFFM Director Tom Torres.
“Our system has been in place for a little over two weeks now, and so those feeds are being dispatched into our dispatch center right now,” Torres said. “So we are hopeful, and have great hopes, that it’s going to result in positive results for our suppression efforts.”
Ross Shumate, DFFM’s deputy director of operations, said the cameras use an algorithm to monitor specific areas for unusual activity and to flag dispatchers if a fire breaks out. The system can also help rule out false alarms like dust or smoke from prescribed burns.
Additionally, Arizona’s utility companies are deploying similar AI cameras to monitor their utility infrastructure and will share those feeds with DFFM. The cameras come from tech company Pano AI, which has provided similar AI wildfire detection systems in states like California and New Mexico.
