Fire danger is always a concern, but new technology could shorten response time

Fire lookouts are an iconic part of the mountain landscape, but new fire-detection technology could replace the need to build more.

California-based Pano AI has developed a fire detection system that uses ultra-high-def cameras, artificial intelligence and satellite technology to spot fires before the human eye can.

The tech is already being used around Pitkin County and the Roaring Fork Valley. On the Front Range, Boulder County is the first to partner with Pano AI. It announced this week, the first two of three camera systems are up and running: one at Lee Hill and one at Eldora.

"Wildfire threat is surging in our County," said Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle. "We are seeing longer and more severe wildfire seasons each year due to our warming climate. Boulder County, in partnership with the city of Boulder and Xcel Energy, is prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of our community by investing in technology to protect them from this growing threat."

Each system has two 360-degree cameras that allow any number of approved users to access real-time images from, along with precise locations. The icing on the cake for responders? They can receive alerts when fires are detected and access the cameras and data from anywhere.

"This makes things really simple, whether I'm on duty or off duty at home, I've got the ability to get an alert -- a detection from Pano," said Seth McKinney, fire manager with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff and McKinney are on the same page when it comes to challenges with wildfires. Never mind that fire "season" now runs year-round, it can be difficult to nail down the location of the fire. Once you find it, responders have to determine the urgency and decide what resources to assign to the incident.

That's the main part of McKinney's job and with Pano AI, he can find the fire and make those decisions within moments of a start.

"Oh man, the ease... just pulling my cell phone out of my pocket getting that notification," said McKinney.

McKinney and the Sheriff's Office have taken a lot of time to get to the pilot project stage. McKinney says he's been working with Pano AI for nearly two years, providing feedback.

While it's just a pilot program for Boulder, Pelle says there are plans to fund more. He said in the grand scheme of fighting fires, the cost to launch the pilot the pilot program is nominal -- around $75,000 -- especially when you consider the cost to build a lookout tower: hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Pelle says the Sheriff's Office is looking for more partners to help fund the expansion of the program. Currently, it's being funded through the county's general fund and the partnership with Xcel Energy and the city of Boulder.

Additionally, there are fire mitigation and emergency response items on the ballot in November that could help fund the expansion of the program for Boulder and other areas around the state.

Pano says around 10 systems would provide ideal coverage of Boulder County but for now, the goal is to see what the impacts of three systems are.

"We're still piloting this ourselves; how we're going to integrate this in our processes at dispatch, how fire managers interpret this, making sure the right people get the information," said McKinney.

Pano said it's still learning from each experience. For instance, the software detected what it thought was smoke in Pitkin County, but Pano employees working to verify alerts realized it was snowmaking operations from a ski resort.

The company also noted that privacy is a paramount concern while it plans to work on blurring locations where privacy is expected, the Sheriff's Office said it could potentially be used as a tool to issue warnings, citations and more.

"I can see a situation where if you had violations of fire restrictions and you're able to detect it and dispatch a deputy right away you might actually be able to catch someone and cite them for violating a fire restriction. If you had an arson, you might be able to be there in a quicker fashion to make an apprehension," said Pelle.

But Pelle said those scenarios are speculative. The goal of the program is to find ways to help first responders fight fires and ultimately, keep the community safe.

"Is it gonna replace firefighters making decisions? No, it's gonna help us make better decisions," said McKinney.

To learn more about Pano, visit www.pano.ai.