As northern Wisconsin experiences critical fire weather, Xcel Energy announced it’s using a new tool to monitor wildfires.
The utility company installed AI wildfire detection cameras in nine locations in Northwestern Wisconsin including Mercer and Manitowish Waters.
Pano AI wildfire detection cameras use artificial intelligence-driven smoke detection to continuously scan for smoke.
While new to Wisconsin, the cameras have been used out west where wildfires are larger and more destructive. Xcel Energy already uses them in Minnesota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico.
They have led to early detections and there for earlier responses to wildfires, especially in remote areas.
“We know that wildfires continue to evolve and continue to be an increasing threat here in the Midwest as well. We have seen great success by installing these Pano AI cameras in our utility areas out west,” said Xcel Energy RVP Brian Elwood “Bringing them to Wisconsin, as that wildfire risk continues to grow, it provides another layer of awareness in our wildfire mitigation efforts in order to help prevent any widespread wildfire spread in the areas that we serve in northwestern Wisconsin.”
The state is expected to see more frequent and larger wildfires as climate change leads to longer, drier, and warmer growing seasons.
Elwood says Xcel invested in the cameras to help limit the damage wildfires can cause.
“These are in very rural, remote areas in northwestern Wisconsin,” said Elmwood. “We work with various landowners to locate them on high poles so they can provide the scanning technology available to them. They also come equipped with that AI smoke detection technology which allows triangulation of any sort of smoke in these areas.”
The cameras are currently located in Birchwood, Cumberland, Hayward, Luck, Mercer, Spooner, South Wind Lake, Tomah and Manitowish Waters.
Fire departments, meteorologists, communication centers and the Wisconsin DNR can use the system to coordinate wildfire response.
The Wisconsin DNR says the cameras alerted it to a fire in the western part of the state before any people had called it in.
Xcel plans to install more of these cameras this year in areas where there is a higher risk of wildfires near the company’s power lines.
