AI contributes to saving California from fire devastation

On August 5th, Captain Chris Yeri was awakened around 3 AM after receiving an alert about a wildfire in a Southern California forest. 

However, this wasn't your typical wake-up call; it was generated by an artificial intelligence program.

Immediately, the officer headed to the command center in San Diego, where he saw on multiple screens dedicated to monitoring the area, a column of smoke rising from Mount Laguna, about 70 kilometers away.

At that moment, he dispatched firefighters to extinguish the flames. Their rapid response played a significant role in containing the fire to only about 1,000 square meters, and the blaze posed no threat to the small town of Pine Valley, which is home to approximately 1,600 residents.

Captain Chris Yeri told Agence France-Presse, "If the artificial intelligence program hadn't issued an alert, the fire would have engulfed the area."

California, home to Silicon Valley, is a leader in artificial intelligence technologies that rely on algorithms capable of imitating some human behaviors.

The state has been using these technologies to combat forest fires, which have become increasingly devastating in recent years due to climate change, claiming over two hundred lives in the past decade.

Since the end of June, an information program continuously scans 1,040 cameras, deployed by the University of San Diego in high points throughout the "Golden State," and alerts firefighters when it detects smoke.

The initial results were extremely promising, to the extent that all emergency centers in the state now have this artificial intelligence system.

Neil Driscoll, who leads the ALERTCalifornia platform, stated, "We preempt emergency calls in about 40% of cases, and the situation is improving."

The professor of Earth Sciences and Geophysics at the University of San Diego added, "Our success indicator lies in fires that you never hear about."

Artificial intelligence software assists every firefighter who is responsible for monitoring dozens of cameras in their area. 

When the program believes it has detected smoke, it displays a small red rectangle on the screen along with a percentage indicating its confidence level. The operator then assesses the alert's severity.

So far, artificial intelligence programs may still make mistakes, as they might confuse smoke with dust kicked up by tractors, insects passing in front of cameras, or even fog. However, with the experience of firefighters and their observations, the program is continually improved to provide more accurate alerts.

Firefighters appreciate the assistance provided by artificial intelligence, unlike workers in other fields such as Hollywood's film industry, who fear they may lose their jobs due to AI.

Captain Chris Yeri says, "This technology is an addition to us and will never replace firefighters."

Furthermore, his colleague, Susan Lingenfelter, an expert in research data at the California Fire Department, explains, "Artificial intelligence saves us time so that we can respond more quickly," adding, "If we record strong winds in an area, quick response can make a difference in the fire's intensity."

This pioneering program appears to be a valuable example not only for California but for firefighting units worldwide. The Earth recently experienced its hottest summer ever, accompanied by destructive fires in Canada, Europe, and Hawaii.



AFP