Colorado county gets high tech, uses fire suppression heliteam and AI to combat wildfires
A fire department in Colorado has modernized the way it fights wildfires with high-tech solutions.
Last year, Douglas County's fire suppression helicopter and helitack team responded to 34 wildfires, including nine outside the county. But it's not the only tool the county is using to fight wildfires.
Your reporter in Douglas County learned about how AI is being used to detect wildfires early and send that data to first responders.
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When a fire sparks, the Pano AI camera can detect it within minutes.
"It might be a small camera, but it's looking out miles and miles into the distance," said Peter Ambler, Vice President for Government Affairs, Pano AI.
Ambler says the technology recognizes the very first wisps of smoke.
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"These are fixed in areas with pre-existing high fire risk. They're going on cell towers, on mountaintops, oftentimes in some of the most rugged and remote landscapes," Ambler said. "They rotate 360 degrees, stitching together a 360-degree panoramic feed, the artificial intelligence then crawls that feed."
The company partners with utilities like Xcel Energy and CORE Electric and has 12 camera stations in Douglas County.
Once one of them spots a fire, first responders like Jason Lownsdale and the county's helitack team are in the air in five minutes.
"My position is to supervise the crew and to fly front seat in the helicopter manager role, talking on the radio air-to-ground frequencies before I get out," said Jason Lownsdale, emergency service unit supervisor for the Douglas County helitack program.
The team can be anywhere in the county in 12 minutes. From the air, they size up the fire and report back to dispatch, then they hit the ground.
"Once we get on scene, the crew will hop out, unload all of our line gear, our IA bag, initial attack bag, that has all of our hand tools, some medical equipment, our chainsaw and fuel," Lownsdale said.
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While the crew fights the fire from the ground, the helicopter drops 300 gallons of water from above.
In the last year, Pano's AI detection helped stop the Bear Creek and Turkey Track fires in Douglas County.
Together, the technology and quick work of first responders means a rapid response that Douglas County says saves property, resources and lives.
"It's not really a season anymore. It can happen whenever. When we get a fire is, yeah, we'll be ready," Lownsdale said.
Right now, Pano has 86 AI camera stations in Colorado. In just a few months, that number will be 163.
Your Reporter Olivia Young specializes in coverage of Douglas County. Share you story ideas with her by sending an email to yourreporter@cbs.com.
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