Xcel, electric cooperative’s AI cameras helped detect June’s Bear Creek fire

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. ( KDVR ) — New artificial intelligence technology is being implemented along the Front Range to detect wildfires, and it aided in the detection of June’s Bear Creek Fire.

Pano AI’s early wildfire detection technology pinpoints ignition in remote, high-risk areas. On June 16, a fire caused by a lightning strike in the Bennett Mountain area above Strontia Springs Reservoir in Douglas County was detected by this technology using AI cameras funded by Xcel Energy and CORE Electric Cooperative.

These cameras are constantly taking 360-degree view images and analyzing them to learn the area and learn to detect smoke from a fire or smoke from a smoke signal. Xcel’s Director of Community Relations Andrew Holder said the detection is then simultaneously alerting first responders in the area, including precision triangulation to give emergency responders a specific location.

“Pano AI camera system does allow first responders to get access into it so they can get early detection warnings directly through the phone and email so that just aids with rapid response,” Holder said.

These cameras are placed in mutually beneficial locations where they’re close to utility infrastructure, but also in wildfire-prone areas. Public safety is at the forefront of the two organization’s investments and placement of cameras, according to CORE’s Wildlife Mitigation Program Manager Jordan Ambrogi.

“We want to have that in case our equipment were to cause an ignition, we want to mitigate the damage of that ignition however possible, but we also look at it as an investment in public safety,” Ambrogi said.

This technology is being implemented along the Front Range. To date, CORE has invested in six camera stations. Xcel Energy has 28 cameras in its service area statewide and plans to activate 42 by the end of this year.

Together, CORE and Xcel Energy will have 48 stations live in Colorado in the coming months, along with a dozen more from other local governments and enterprises for a total of 60 stations.

“This is just one piece in our toolkit, and we’re trying to be both proactive and aid in response to wildfires as much as we can,” Ambrogi said.

These cameras act as eyes on the ground for fires like the Bear Creek Fire, which crews were able to contain — partially thanks to the rapid initial attack made possible by this advanced technology.

“This is a huge highlight of how we can leverage technology to reduce the public’s risk of wildfires,” Holder said.

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