Arizona Public Service is using artificial intelligence to detect wildfires sooner in an attempt to improve response times for emergency services.
Their new cameras can identify smoke from up to 25 miles away.
APS has installed the AI cameras on their poles in high risk fire areas of northern Arizona, in hopes of catching smoke and new blazes early.
The 24-hour cameras scan their surroundings looking for smoke and are monitored by a fire mitigation team.
“We’re using these cameras to monitor the surroundings. If necessary and if firefighters request us shutting off power to help protect our safety, we always will coordinate with them to make those decisions," said Yessica del Rincón with APS.
APS will share access to the cameras with firefighters and their dispatch centers. More cameras are expected to be installed in the high country this summer.
-
The risk of human-caused wildfire is high due to hot and dry conditions. Certain activities are now restricted within state trust lands in Gila, Maricopa and Pinal counties, as well as the Tonto National Forest. -
"Suppression is always going to be there," Chief Brian Fennessy told the Mountain West News Bureau. "But we're not going to suppress our way out of this situation." -
A new analysis of public federal workforce data shows about 5,800 fewer workers at public lands agencies in 2025 compared to the year before. -
Arizona Public Service has nearly 40 active AI smoke-detection cameras and plans to have 71 by summer's end, and the state’s fire agency has deployed seven of its own. -
Smoke from the fire near Buckeye has blown into the rest of the Valley since it started burning Saturday.
