The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
has been working with a remote-camera system that will give
firefighters another set of eyes to help them battle
wildfires. The surveillance system was funded with a $2.3
million grant from the National Science Foundation,
according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
With 24 cameras monitoring peaks and hilltops across the county, discussions are under way with property owners to install more. Some cameras are mounted in fixed positions and others can be manipulated to zoom and pan. Each camera can see up to 70 miles away and can capture images like lightning striking and birds in flight.
The U.S. Forest Service has been converting old helicopter gunships into flying observation posts that can penetrate smoke to see a fire and transit the information to computers and monitors on the ground.
