AI wildfire cameras being tested in Kananaskis

AltaLink is testing AIenabled wildfire cameras in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis area to help detect smoke and possible fire starts sooner. The pilot has been underway since last June at two locations near Kananaskis Village and west of Canmore, where wildfire risk is considered high. The system continuously scans camera feeds and uses an AI model trained on wildfire images to flag possible ignitions for human review before alerts are sent to utility staff and fire agencies. AltaLink says the cameras are meant to complement existing monitoring, not replace it, and are aimed at improving roundtheclock surveillance of power infrastructure. ATCO Electric has also tested similar technology in Alberta and said one camera detected a wildfire early enough for crews to respond within 30 minutes. Researchers and wildfire officials say the cameras can be useful, but false alerts remain a challenge and human observers are still an important part of detection systems.