Arizona wildfire detection powered by expanding APS AI camera network

PHOENIX - APS is using AI cameras to detect wildfires. In the last year, the company has doubled the number of cameras placed throughout the state.

Local perspective:

"They are placed on mountain tops all throughout the state, so we have those in Flagstaff over to the Globe area. We just installed one on Thompson Peak overlooking the Scottsdale area, and we have them in the Southeast as well," Cynthia Cobold, supervisor of fire science and meteorology at APS, said.

Kobold talked about these AI cameras used by the company to detect wildfires in high-risk areas: "We have 49 of these artificial intelligence cameras currently deployed across the state. We will have 71 by the end of the summer, and they are installed on mountain tops so that they are constantly working 24-7 to identify smoke or heat signatures at night."

The cameras are used for early detection, which leads to early suppression. Typically, the company would have to wait for a human to spot a risk and then call 911. Kobold says that could take days.

"It's an instantaneous notification that goes to command center, where you get human eyes on it to confirm that it is smoke and not a dust level and then those notifications are sent out to APS in about 500 partners that we have onboarded," she said.

Big picture view:

APS partners with several agencies, including Maricopa County Emergency Management. Ron Coleman with the department says these cameras are another set of eyes that will save people and property.

"From an emergency management standpoint, we really like it. We can gather these cameras. We can find areas that are hotspots areas that continue to have problems, and it helps us plan what to do with folks in those areas and also helps us prepare my mitigating fuels taken care of the area to make sure to reduce the risk in future," he said.

What's next:

The plan is to continue adding more cameras in more areas.