As flames continue to threaten Washington’s forests each summer, the state has rolled out a high-tech solution that’s already making a difference. Twenty-one wildfire surveillance cameras now dot the terrain, strategically placed in high-risk areas where human reporting is historically low. The best part? Starting July 2025, everyone gets to watch the action live.
These aren’t your grandpa’s security cameras. Equipped with artificial intelligence that can detect smoke columns and thermal signatures, these bad boys rotate a full 360 degrees and zoom in on potential threats. The Washington Department of Natural Resources partnered with Pano AI for this pilot program, and they’re sticking together through at least 2029. Smart move.
The cameras have already proven their worth. In one case, early detection limited a wildfire to just 23 acres. Another blaze in Mason County was controlled within hours after being spotted by the electronic eyes in the sky. Only burned 20 acres. Not too shabby.
Early detection is clutch—two fires caught and controlled before they could wreak real havoc. Technology saving forests in real-time.
DNR isn’t keeping this tech to themselves. They’re planning to build an integrated camera response center involving local fire departments and private partners. Because fighting fires is a team sport, folks.
Similar systems are already expanding in Oregon and California. Since approximately 85% of wildfires in Washington are started by humans, these cameras are vital for protection in remote areas. The future of forest protection looks suspiciously like Big Brother—but for a good cause.
For residents worried about that smoke on the horizon, the cameras will provide real-time feeds to check conditions and air quality. No more guessing if that haze means imminent danger or just your neighbor’s overzealous barbecue.
The cameras supplement other public resources like the NW Interagency Coordination Center and WA Smoke Blog. With this technology, Washington hopes to avoid the catastrophic losses that Canadian insurance companies faced, paying a record $8.5 billion for weather disasters in 2024. With five additional cameras scheduled to launch this year, the surveillance network will provide even greater coverage of wildfire-prone regions.
Fire officials are particularly jazzed about using the technology to monitor prescribed burns. Keep those controlled fires in check. Because sometimes you fight fire with fire—but you still need to watch it like a hawk. Or in this case, like a high-powered AI camera that never sleeps.
References
- https://www.govtech.com/biz/data/washington-dnr-eyes-multiagency-camera-network-to-combat-wildfires
- https://www.geekwire.com/2025/washington-opens-wildfire-surveillance-feeds-to-public-as-fire-season-ramps-up/
- https://www.lwfr.org/wildfire-detection-cameras
- https://wildfiretoday.com/2024/05/15/western-wildfire-camera-detection-network/
- https://ohaz.uoregon.edu/wildfire-cameras/
