Live webcam feeds allow people to watch jumping salmon, roosting eagles and frolicking pandas from their homes, desks or phones.
Now, Pano AI’s newest interactive feature adds wildfire detection cameras to that list.
“When Pano AI approached us with a new publicly accessible camera feed feature, it was an easy yes,” said George Geissler, the state Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) state forester and deputy supervisor responsible for wildland fire management. “Early detection is a key part of DNR’s wildfire rapid response model, and now Washingtonians can peek behind the scenes at how part of that detection process works.”
Anyone can check in on the DNR network of artificial intelligence-assisted cameras in 21 high-risk locations around Washington state, according to a news release from the DNR.
The cameras use a 360-degree field of vision to identify wildfire ignitions, then relay high-definition footage of potential fire starts to a team of around-the-clock Pano staff.
Based on the data, the Pano team will alert DNR dispatch if needed so resources can be deployed to an emerging incident. Five additional cameras are in the process of being installed and brought online this year, the release stated.
“We’re proud to support the Washington DNR’s vision for wildfire safety, and we are proud to offer this new public sharing functionality to our customers,” Sonia Kastner, co-founder and CEO of Pano AI, said.
The cameras, funded by the landmark Wildfire Response, Forest Restoration and Community Resilience Account (2021 House Bill 1168), are part of a five-year agency pilot project begun in 2023. The project boasts a track record of success on both sides of the state, identifying fires and allowing DNR to get on them quickly. However, state budget cuts are projected to have a negative impact on this sort of technological innovation in the next biennium.
“The destructive impacts of our wildfire crisis aren’t just an eastside issue, they impact everyone in Washington,” Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said. “Our agency’s wildfire suppression model has grown and evolved to meet the worsening conditions on the landscape, and I will work tirelessly with our State Legislature to secure and protect the funding that makes innovations like Pano AI possible — now and in the future.”
The camera feeds can be viewed at wadnr.wildfirewatch.com and at shorturl.at/nBUfi.
