AlcheraX Takes Part in PG&E Program that Tests FireScout’s AI Capabilities in Detecting Wildfires

AlcheraX’s FireScout analyzes the feed of fire-watch cameras across Northern and Central California

AlcheraX, Inc. announced its FireScout wildfire detection artificial intelligence (AI) technology is helping in the fight to reduce wildfire threats in the highest fire-risk areas in California. The AI is now scanning the live images from 80 high-resolution cameras on Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) sponsored network of high-definition fire-watch cameras as part of a technology demonstration project. That’s in addition to the hundreds of other cameras the FireScout technology is currently monitoring.

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“The program is already proving to work,” said Bow Rodgers, president of FireScout. “FireScout is monitoring more than 300 cameras across California for PG&E and other partners, and it has been accurately identifying smoke and where it is located. With a strict set of success criteria, each detection issued by our system is reviewed and validated.”

The pilot program is part of the Electric Program Investment Charge (or EPIC program), which allows PG&E, other California investor-owned utilities and the California Energy Commission to execute emerging technology demonstration and deployment projects that will help customers now and into the future. This pilot program is specifically through PG&E’s EPIC 3.45: Automated Fire Detection from Wildfire Alert Cameras.

The expert staff at PG&E’s Hazard Awareness and Warning Center (HAWC) uses the detections from FireScout and other tools to better understand what is happening across their service area regarding wildfire risk and ignitions that may threaten electric or gas assets.

“Artificial intelligence is effective, with multiple fires already detected by FireScout ahead of PG&E’s first source of information,” said Jim Ridgway, manager at PG&E’s HAWC. “Two vegetation fires, the Jericho Fire in Nevada County and the Willow Fire in Contra Costa County, were detected by FireScout 16 minutes ahead of other sources.”

“Artificial intelligence has two key benefits. It gives us an early look at a situation and a quick recording so we can make a rapid assessment of whether we need to incorporate other tools,” said Eric Sutphin, Supervisor at PG&E’s HAWC. “Secondly, it has the prospect of having hundreds of sentries on duty, all the time around the clock hunting for fires for PG&E.”

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FireScout was also successful in a previous pilot program in detecting smoke in Placer County one minute before the actual fire dispatch and several minutes sooner than the manual movement of the camera. That smoke ended up becoming the River Fire.

“While the River Fire was unfortunately still disastrous, more than a dozen other active fire incidents were detected by FireScout before 911 or other sources, with each contained to under an acre,” said FireScout Product Co-Founder Robert Grey.

Based on the success of the previous pilot project, PG&E asked AlcheraX to be a part of the current EPIC 3.45 project that expands the number of cameras monitored, but to do it 24/7 and with nighttime capabilities. Live feeds from PG&E’s network of sponsored HD fire-watch cameras through the ALERTWildfire network can be viewed at www.pge.com/weather.

“The ability to detect fires around the clock is critical as our first line of defense, people, are often asleep. The devastating Kincade Fire started at night, and a recent study indicates that nighttime fires are becoming more frequent and burning more intensely,” said FireScout President, Bow Rodgers.

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