Southern California's Fire Risks Now Easier to Track with Cutting-Edge Technology
In a groundbreaking initiative, the AlertSoCal system has been launched to combat the threat of wildfires in Southern California. This cutting-edge technology is a collaborative effort between UC San Diego, the County of San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric, and other institutions such as the High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN) and the Nevada Seismological Laboratory [1].
The AlertSoCal system is an integral part of the broader ALERTCalifornia program, a public safety initiative that boasts over 1,100 high-definition, pan-tilt-zoom cameras spread across California. These cameras offer 24-hour surveillance with near-infrared night vision, enabling early detection of active wildfires and continuous monitoring of disaster conditions in real-time [1].
One of the key advantages of AlertSoCal is its ability to continuously scan vast backcountry areas with 360-degree camera sweeps every two minutes. This allows the system to view up to 60 miles in daytime and 120 miles at night [1]. By delivering live visual data to incident commanders and emergency responders, AlertSoCal helps confirm fire ignition points rapidly, aiding in quicker responses and reducing wildfire spread and damage [1].
The system also supports data-driven decision-making by integrating massive amounts of visual data, helping allocate firefighting resources efficiently before wildfires grow large [1]. This, in turn, enhances early warning so that crews can respond quickly, further reducing wildfire impacts.
The AlertSoCal system operates in critical fire-prone regions, including Toro Peak in Riverside County and Lyons Peak in southern San Diego County. It is built upon the existing HPWREN network, which includes over 64 fixed mountaintop cameras positioned in 16 remote locations across San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial counties [2].
The system also features new AlertSoCal 4K high-definition pan, tilt, and zoom cameras that augment the existing HPWREN cameras. These cameras provide a virtual fire lookout tower equipped with real-time and on-demand time-lapse imagery, accessible to both firefighters and the general public [3].
In addition to aiding firefighters, AlertSoCal is part of a multi-hazard system that also uses the Scripps-based HPWREN communications infrastructure for real-time observations of earthquakes and extreme weather. This expansion of Southern California's state-of-the-art earthquake and weather monitoring system aims to better detect fires in real-time [2].
The AlertSoCal system transmits real-time information to incident command centers and fire stations for enhanced readiness. This technology, described by Graham Kent, director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory and a geophysicist at the University of Nevada, Reno, as the 21st century's version of crowd-source fire-tower observers, is expected to significantly improve wildfire management in Southern California [4].
The AlertSoCal system offers numerous benefits to UC San Diego, providing research and education opportunities. Furthermore, the system can aid fire crews with critical information on fire evolution in its early stages, supporting safer operations and more timely evacuations [5].
By leveraging the power of technology, AlertSoCal represents a significant step forward in Southern California's goal of rapidly identifying and containing 95% of fires while they are still very small [4]. This system promises to provide constant, high-resolution, wide-area visual fire monitoring, enabling near real-time tracking and decision-making from ignition through containment, ultimately leading to reduced wildfire impacts.
[1] ALERTCalifornia: A Public Safety Initiative for Wildfire Detection and Disaster Management. (2022). ALERTCalifornia. Retrieved from https://www.alertsocal.org/
[2] AlertSoCal: A New Tool in the Fight Against Wildfires. (2022). UC San Diego News Center. Retrieved from https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/alertsoCal_a_new_tool_in_the_fight_against_wildfires
[3] AlertSoCal: A Virtual Fire Lookout Tower for Southern California. (2022). HPWREN. Retrieved from https://hpwren.ucsd.edu/projects/alertsocal/
[4] California Wildfires: How Technology is Helping to Save Lives and Property. (2022). California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. Retrieved from https://www.caloes.ca.gov/programmes/wildfire-preparedness/technology-and-innovation/
[5] UC San Diego Benefits from AlertSoCal System. (2022). UC San Diego News Center. Retrieved from https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/uc_san_diego_benefits_from_alertsoCal_system
