Arizona deploys AI-powered cameras to detect wildfires ahead of peak season

PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs announced Friday that seven AI-powered cameras have been installed across Arizona which are designed to detect wildfire smoke and alert dispatchers before blazes spread.

The cameras, which are part of a new program called AZFIRECAM, provide 360-degree views and use artificial intelligence to identify smoke and notify the Arizona Dispatch Center. They will allow firefighters to respond more quickly in the critical early minutes of a fire.

“Every minute and every second counts when a wildfire breaks out,” Hobbs said in a statement announcing the program. “This technology is a generational leap in how we protect our communities.”

The cameras are positioned in rural and wildland areas stretching from the Hualapai Mountains in Mohave County to the Chiricahua range in southeastern Arizona, with additional sites near Tucson, in western Maricopa County and in Pinal County.

Could these cameras help prevent wildfires?

“AI wildfire cameras are a major advancement in early wildfire detection, giving our firefighters and dispatchers the critical intelligence they need to respond faster and better protect our communities,” State Forester Tom Torres said. “These cameras are an investment not only for the Department but for the entire state of Arizona.”

The announcement comes as Arizona approaches peak wildfire season and as the department nears completion of a new statewide dispatch center.

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