On April 24, forest rangers powered up two high-tech cameras mounted on Rogers Communications Inc. RCI-B-T cellphone towers in the hills above British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley for the first time.
Over the next two weeks, AI-enhanced cameras detected more than two dozen outbreaks in a region devastated last summer by fires that took out neighbourhoods in Kelowna and nearby communities, triggering $720-million in insurance claims. . Dr. Bourbonnais, a former firefighter, said: “An enormous amount of tech is now being dedicated to wildfires.”
“As technology progresses, detection based on remote sensing platforms such as remotely piloted aircraft systems and satellites will play a larger role in our processes,” said Mr. Pawlick. “We’re excited about the potential of this partnership and the opportunity it presents to help mitigate wildfire risk in B.C. and safeguard communities,” said Arvind Satyam, Pano’s co-founder and chief commercial officer in an e-mail. He said: “We aim to lay the groundwork for expansion and long-term success across the province.”