Disruption

As wildfire seasons worsen, states turn to AI for help

The experimentation comes as Western states contend with hotter summers, longer fire seasons and more acreage burned.
The Dixie Fire burns down a hillside towards Diamond Mountain Rd. near Taylorsville in Plumas County, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

States are turning to new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to help them detect wildfires earlier and respond faster, as climate change contributes to more severe fire seasons. 

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has teamed with a private AI company on a two-year pilot project to use HD cameras and satellites to identify and locate fires in their earliest stages. Colorado lawmakers considered a similar partnership this year.

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