CALFIRE, UC San Diego Get $10.4M Boost for Wildfire System

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are set to see $10.4 million in general fund investment in the fire-mapping camera system ALERTCalifornia.

According to Assembly Bill 108, which closely followed state budget legislation (AB 107), the money will be funneled through CALFIRE to the university program focused on identifying wildfires with a state-of-the-art network of more than 1,080 cameras and sensors. Artificial intelligence capabilities added in 2023 offer real-time firefighting intelligence and early identification.

“The funds appropriated in this item shall be used to provide funding to the University of California, San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia for purposes of digital imagery to support its fire camera mapping system,” AB 108 reads.

Wildfires have been an increasingly prominent part of life in the state and have caused enormous losses to both property and human life. In 2024 alone, there have been more than 4,367 wildfires that have killed one person, burned a collective 343,253 acres and destroyed 168 structures.

“In its first season, the AI platform was utilized in all 21 CALFIRE Dispatch Centers and detected over 1,200 fires across California, beating 911 call reporting over 30 percent of the time. It is especially effective in spotting anomalies in remote locations and is proven effective at night,” the ALERTCalifornia website states.

In addition, the network “collects data that provides actionable, real-time information to inform public safety.”

“Advanced technology offers fresh insight into the cascading disasters associated with wildfires, such as post-fire debris flows, floods, and erosion. These data will lead to a greater understanding of natural disasters and their long-term impacts on air, water, and soil quality as well as human health in California,” the website states.