The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management says 90% of wildfires are started by humans. Now there’s new technology being used to try to detect fires earlier in neighboring states
The company, based in Maryland, first tested the sensor in the lab in 2020. The N5 Shield hit the market in late 2022. Developers say it can detect a fire up to a mile away and has already had success — including detecting one unplanned fire in Colorado. The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management says there’s no real wildfire season anymore — the risk is year-round, with weather consistent with a “typical” wildfire season coming earlier and earlier.
“Let’s say outside a campground that’s covered with trees. maybe a camera that’s perched up on a mountain can’t see the fire until it gets real big, maybe a use case for this is where the cameras can’t see. Where there’s a delay, where there’s that canopy cover,” CAL FIRE Deputy Chief Marcus Hernandez said. Hernandez is part of the department’s Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development.