photo source: Alberta Wildfire
Utility companies in Alberta are currently testing AI-powered cameras, in hopes of catching wildfires near power infrastructure before it becomes a problem.
AltaLink says they have two locations right now, and those spots were chosen due to the high wildfire risk in Kananaskis Village, and just west of Canmore.
The utility operates 17 cameras along its power lines across Alberta, which staff once monitored manually for wildfire threats. The new AI system now scans those feeds automatically, flagging potential fires and sending alerts to staff for verification.
As Alberta’s wildfire seasons grow more intense, utilities are looking for new ways to reduce risks around power infrastructure. AltaLink says about 10 per cent of the province’s wildfires are linked to utility equipment.
The cameras complete a full 360‑degree rotation every minute or two, constantly scanning the landscape. Their images feed into an AI model trained on thousands of confirmed wildfire photos. When the system spots something that looks like an ignition, ALERTWest (the company providing the AI services, based out of California) staff review the detection before sending an alert to utilities and fire agencies.
Comments