New mountaintop cameras unveiled to help spot,…
New mountaintop cameras unveiled to help spot, fight far-away fires
Cameras that can spot smoke from miles away have been installed atop Santiago Peak and fire officials hope they'll play a role in more effectively fighting wildfires. Officials will get a live feed of where the cameras are pointed like the one shown here. (SCREENSHOT/Alertwildfire.org)
By Alma Fausto | afausto@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: May 23, 2018 at 2:31 pm | UPDATED: May 23, 2018 at 4:52 pm
Six new cameras that can spot smoke from miles away have been installed atop Santiago Peak in an effort to help firefighters more quickly respond to wildfires.
The system was unveiled earlier this month at Orange County Fire Authority headquarters in Irvine by firefighters, university researchers and Southern California Edison officials who worked together with other organizations to set up the cameras, the first of their kind in Orange County.
The four stationary and two pan-tilt cameras, which can be moved remotely, are perched atop a Southern California Edison telecommunications tower at Orange County's highest point — 5,700 feet.
"Now if we get a vague 911 call of smoke in the area, we can check (the cameras) and validate where that is to send resources for maximum effectiveness," said OCFA Division Chief Brian Norton. Norton was involved in the years-long process that culminated in the installation of the cameras earlier this month. The cameras stream a feed that is monitored by the OCFA and SCE in the county.
The cameras, with a range view of about 50 miles, also help to monitor blazes outside the county.
"On those Santa Ana wind days, if there's a fire that starts in say Corona…there's a chance it'll end up in Orange County," Norton said. "We can have more awareness of what is going on and where we'll need to send resources."
New cameras, like the ones shown, that can spot smoke from miles away have been installed atop Santiago Peak and fire officials hope they play a key role in combating wildfires. (Photo Courtesy of Southern California Edison)
Southern California Edison gave about $100,000 to fund the installation, which includes a weather station that will contribute to monitoring fire-prone areas.
According to Southern California Edison, roughly a quarter of its service territory — about 9 million acres that includes Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties — is considered high fire risk area. Each of those counties has experienced a number of wildfires in the past along with much of drought-ridden California including the October 2017 Canyon 2 fire which scorched more than 9,200 acres in Orange County.
While 911 calls from the public is still the most reliable way smoke and fire is reported, he said, the cameras will doubly assist in confirming where it's coming from.
"It would definitely increase the situational awareness," he said. "It puts eyes on things we couldn't see before."
As many as 10 cameras are expected to be mounted at Orange County's peaks. The system shows real-time shots of danger areas and two of the cameras are capable of zooming, panning and tilting.
The partnership of firefighters, UC San Diego and Southern California Edison also includes the Alert Wildfire project hosted by the University of Nevada.
"We all have different missions but at the end of the day we're all in this to better protect the public," Norton said.
To see the camera broadcast, visit: alertwildfire.org/orangecoca/ or hpwren.ucsd.edu/cameras/SP.html
Alma Fausto
Alma Fausto is a crime, breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. She has worked for the Register since 2013. Previously, she lived in New York City while studying at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she covered the growing Mexican immigrant population in the city. Alma has also lived and studied in California's rural and agricultural Central Valley. She's an Orange County native from Costa Mesa, and in her spare time likes to read, visit libraries and drink good gin.
Follow Alma Fausto	@AlmaFausto1