Two high definition smoke-spotting cameras on top of Mount Tamalpais in Northern California are included in Pacific Gas and Electric’s artificial intelligence pilot program. Photo courtesy of PG&E.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric reported that it is testing artificial intelligence and machine-learning capabilities in its growing network of high-definition cameras across Northern and Central California to see how it can enhance fire-watch and response capabilities.
The company said that this year, in collaboration with ALERTWildfire, it has installed 138 new HD cameras across high fire-threat districts, in accordance with its 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
Of those 138 cameras, 46 of them are included in the new artificial intelligence, or AI, testing program in partnership with Alchera and ALERTWildfire.
A similar pilot was conducted with Pano through participation in EPRI’s 2021 Incubatenergy Labs Challenge. PG&E began installing HD cameras in 2018, as part of its Community Wildfire Safety Program.
As of Oct. 31, 487 cameras are now in operation, 45 of them are in Lake, Mendocino and Humboldt counties. None of them are in the new AI test program.
In Lake County, 10 cameras have been installed. In 2019, cameras were installed on Mount Konocti, two each on Buckingham Peak, Cobb Mountain and Cow Mountain, with the most recent two cameras installed on Walker Ridge in January.
“Even with the two significant rainstorms in October and November, we are still in a historic drought and California, along with other western states, continue to experience an increase in wildfire risk and a longer wildfire season. We are using every new tool and technology at our disposal to improve situational awareness and intelligence to help mitigate and prevent wildfires, including this new AI capability,” said Sumeet Singh, PG&E chief risk officer. “Every bit of data and intelligence that comes to us could potentially save a life.”
PG&E said the pilot program is already demonstrating the AI’s potential to reduce fire size expansion.
On Aug. 4, PG&E’s Howell Mountain 1 camera located in Placer County and equipped with Alchera’s AI software, spotted smoke one minute before the actual fire dispatch and several minutes sooner than the manual movement of the camera. That smoke ended up becoming the River Fire. This is one example of many noted during both pilots confirming the value of early fire detection technology.
The expert staff in the company’s Wildfire Safety Operations Center, or WSOC, outside agencies and first responders use the fire-watch cameras to monitor, detect, assess for threats and respond to wildfires.
The AI test programs include …….
