AI helps spot an unreported vegetation fire in remote Southern California
A vegetation fire in a remote part of Orange County was burning unreported and unnoticed last month until officials were pinged by artificial intelligence, according to authorities. The Orange County Fire Authority detailed the event in a post to X on Friday. At about 2 a.m. on Dec. 4, the University of California San Diego’s [...]
A vegetation fire in a remote part of Orange County was burning unreported and unnoticed last month until officials were pinged by artificial intelligence, according to authorities.
The Orange County Fire Authority detailed the event in a post to X on Friday.
At about 2 a.m. on Dec. 4, the University of California San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia camera network’s AI alerted the OCFA of an anomaly spotted on video footage. The network has several cameras located across high-risk areas in Southern California.
The anomaly turned out to be a vegetation fire in Black Star Canyon, east of Irvine Lake. After being alerted by AI, fire crews were able to contain the blaze to less than a quarter of an acre and keep homes and people safe.
The remote location, combined with the darkness in the area and how early in the morning that the blaze occurred, meant that without AI detection, the fire could've grown significantly before being noticed by any human.
“This is one example of how we are leveraging emerging technology and strategic partnerships to combat wildfires,” said OCFA Fire Chief Brian Fennessy. “With wildfire hazards now a year-round challenge, early detection and collaboration are crucial to protect lives and property.”
The OCFA said that it has been using AI to assist with reported fires for some time, this was the first that was detected solely with AI.
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