California turns to AI to help spot wildfires

Cal Fire Capt. Shane Montgomery takes off OV-10 Bronco fire fighting aircraft during a training flight from the Cal Fire Air Attack Base at Ramona airport in San Diego County, California, U.S. August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake

EL CAJON, California (Reuters) - California firefighters are using artificial intelligence to help spot wildfires, feeding video from more than 1,000 cameras strategically placed across the state into a machine that alerts first responders when to mobilize.

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.