Western states are increasingly using AI to spot wildfires

Summary: Western states are facing severe wildfire seasons, but they have a new tool to help: artificial intelligence. States like Arizona and California are installing high-tech AI cameras in remote forests to scan for tiny puffs of smoke. When the AI spots danger, it alerts human experts to check it out.

This technology is incredibly fast, often spotting fires up to 45 minutes before anyone even calls 911. While the cameras are expensive—costing around $50,000 a year each—they help firefighters put out small blazes before they turn into massive disasters. In the future, AI will also help predict exactly where fires will spread and warn towns about dangerous smoke pollution.

For more details, see AP News at apnews.com/article/ai-wildfire-detection-cameras-194656fe63ea89dbc4661eaf8b79f6bb (opens in new tab)